The Center for Justice and Peace (CJP) has disassociated itself from a statement calling for the arrest of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
In a press conference in Abuja, the Director General of the Center, Dr Stephen Okparaibe, categorically denied authorising the statement.
Okparaibe expressed dismay at politicians’ attempts to compromise the organisation’s principles.
He described the individuals as paid agents bent on causing confusion and disrepute to democratic institutions.
“We are shocked that desperate politicians would sponsor criminals to impersonate our organisation and release malicious statements,” Okparaibe said.
“This blatant attempt to undermine our integrity and independence will not be tolerated.”
“We are perturbed that some section of the media would grant an audience to these unknown faces to impersonate and release a statement on behalf of the group.”
CJP emphasised its commitment to justice, peace, and adherence to the rule of law, reaffirming its independence and non-partisanship.
The group, comprised mostly of lawyers, underscored its dedication to promoting Nigeria’s democratic values.
According to Okparaibe, the impostors’ statement contradicts its core values, as it would not call for the arrest of someone who voluntarily surrendered to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“If the EFCC, which declared Mr Bello wanted, had him for over four hours and refused to arrest and prosecute him, how could we?” he queried.
CJP condemned the derogatory statements against the judiciary and urged relevant authorities to act against the impostors for impersonation.
The group warned that Nigeria’s progress would be hindered if individuals are allowed to masquerade as activists, causing confusion and disrepute to democratic institutions.
CJP also called on the National Security Adviser, Department of State Security Service, inspector general of police, and other relevant agencies to investigate and prosecute the impostors.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to allowing the judicial process to run its course rather than taking sides in the EFCC-Yahaya Bello matter.
“We don’t want to be dragged into this issue. Let the court decide,” Okparaibe stated.
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