Constitutional lawyer and human
rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has hailed the court of appeal
judgement for ruling against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) over investigating serving judicial officers.
Appeal court had ruled that EFCC
has no the powers to investigate or prosecute serving judicial officers except
where they had been first dismissed by the NJC.
In a statement he signed on
Tuesday, entitled: ‘Kudos to The Judiciary in Asserting its Assaulted
Independence’, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said, “On December 11, 2017, the
Court of Appeal, Lagos division, in the lead judgment delivered by Justice
Adejumo Obaseki, quashed the 14 count charge against Justice Hyeladzira
Nganjiwa before the Lagos state High court and ruled that the EFCC does not
have the powers to investigate or prosecute serving judicial officers except
where they had been first dismissed by the National Judicial Council (NJC).”
Ozekhome described the verdict as
one that has asserted the independence of the judiciary as contained in the
constitution.
“I totally support the Court of
Appeal in this Landmark judgment that has the effect of clipping the tyrannical
claws of the EFCC and its sister agencies in always viewing the judiciary as an
annex of the Aso Villa.
“For the records, it is the NJC
that has disciplinary control over judges as provided for in section 158 and
paragraphs 21 (b) and (d) of the third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as
altered. Some commentators have either disagreed with, or supported this
decision. I support it. I will give my reasons anon,” Ozekhome said.
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