Contempt: Rights Lawyers Write NJC, Want All Courts To Reject EFCC Cases

Over 250 constitutional and human rights lawyers have called on the National Judicial Council (NJC), to direct all courts in Nigeria not to entertain cases brought before them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Recently, some judges have sentenced the chairman of the commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, to prison for what they described as contempt of court.

According to the lawyers, the cry to the NJC was part of the resolutions reached at the end of their Annual Conference, with the theme: “Democracy and the Rule of Law”, held in Abuja between March 20 and 21, 2023.

They said it would only be appropriate for Nigerian courts to entertain EFCC cases when Bawa must have purged himself of contempt by obeying all subsisting court orders binding on him.

They made the call during the presentation of their annual communique yesterday just as they called on political parties in Nigeria and their candidates to be conscious of the need to preserve Nigeria’s democracy by adhering to the provisions of the law guiding post-election matters.

The lawyers seized the opportunity to announce the constitution of a new leadership thrown up after the JILAW election held on Monday.

They are: Barrister Idoko Godwin, president; Barr. Suleiman Gwamba, vice president; Barr. Gaius Inalegwu, secretary; Barr. Genesis John, publicity secretary; and Barr. Ann Ikwuta Onyeke, welfare officer, among others.

Reading the communique, the newly elected president of the Judicial Integrity Lawyers (JILAW), Barrister Idoko Godwin, said, “Politicians were advised against sponsoring crises across the nation to demonstrate their grievance as sponsoring post-election crisis will negate the supremacy clause of our constitution as stated in Section 1(2) of the 1999 Constitution.

“Rather, every aggrieved individual or groups of individuals who wish to govern Nigeria or any part thereof should give total consideration to  Section 1(2) of the 1999 Constitution and anything to the contrary will amount to subversion of the supreme law of the land. Thus any aggrieved individual should seek judicial redress as enshrined in the constitution.”

The lawyers observed that the timing of the conference was of great importance, considering the fact that the nation was still battling with the fallout of the various elections, adding that many salient issues regarding the place of the rule of law in Nigeria’s struggling democracy had been thrown up.

They noted that the persistent abuse of power by public officials in Nigeria was an aberration, which had attained notoriety as part of the fabric of the Nigerian society, insisting that equality before the law was the only true protection against oppression.

About 25 lawyers, representing the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria jointly presented the communique on behalf of the over 250 lawyers in JILAW.