*opposition parties plans 1m March
*Kayemo,SAN, to prosecute CJN
*150 SANs to represent CJN
There is palpable tension in the country as the federal government is set to arraign the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen over allegations bordering on failure to declare his assets as stipulated by the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
The embattled CJN may officially excuse himself from office as the number one Judicial officer paving way for Justice Tanko Mohammed who is second in command to act pending the outcome of the trial.
Not less than 150 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs will be at the Code of Conduct Tribunal to represent the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN Justice Walter Onnoghen as his trial commences.
Also, Executive Director , Anti – Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative , Mr Dennis Aghanya , has denied allegations that the Presidency has a hand in the petition his group wrote against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen .
Reacting to the insinuations that the petition was sponsored by President Muhammadu Buhari , Aghanya said that he also took Buhari to court in 2011 .
He also said the CJN had already owned up to the allegations brought against him in the petition .
Aghanya said , “ Did you not know that I once took Mr . President to court in 2011 ? I used to be one of his aides but I took him to court .
“ This is a petition by an NGO. What has Mr . President got to do with it ? People are just trying to avoid a major issue . Our concern is to unveil irregularities . People should not try to politicise the good work we are doing .
“ The person the petition was written against owed up to everything. In issues of this nature , should we be sentimental or do we face facts ?”
Aghanya added that he would address a press conference on a yet- to – be – determined date over the development.
Asked why the petition against Onnoghen was coming so close to the elections , Aghanya said there was no time lag in things of that nature .
He noted that his organisation commenced investigation against the senior judicial officer about a year ago .
He dismissed the allegations that the petition was politically motivated , adding that the ARDI should rather be commended for exposing the alleged misdemeanour of the CJN .
Aghanya said it was not true that the petition was calculated to emasculate the judiciary or help President Muhammadu Buhari ’ s re – election in the forthcoming presidential poll , arguing that Nigerians should be more interested in the substance of the case .
He said , “ There is no time lag in things of that nature , but it appears people are leaving the substance of the case to pursue shadow . People have not looked at the merit of the case , so they are not bothered that something was going wrong and we had to point it out .
“ I weep for this country . How are we working for Mr President ? Is it because we came up with a petition that was substantiated? Why should it be tied to the elections ? It is immaterial . Even before he was sworn in as the CJN , there were cases established against him , but nobody had the courage to take them up .”
The Code of Conduct Bureau has concluded plans to arraign the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, for false declaration of assets today.
Specifically , the CJN is to be prosecuted for operating three domiciliary accounts in Standard Chartered Bank accounts 1062650; 5001062686 and account 5001062679 , all with a total balance of about $ 3 m .
The Code of Conduct Tribunal headquarters in Abuja , on Saturday , confirmed the development in a statement signed by its Head, Press and Public Relations , Mr Ibraheem Al – Hassan.
According to Al – Hassan, the three – man panel of the tribunal , led by Danladi Umar, has fixed monday for the arraignment of Nigeria’ s number one judge, following an application by the CCB for leave to commence the case .
He said the application was filed at the tribunal on Friday and summons for today ’ s proceedings had been served on the CJN .
All the six counts preferred against the CJN are said to be bordering on non – declaration of assets .
The CCT ’ s statement read in part, “ The Code of Conduct Tribunal has scheduled Monday , January 14 , 2019 for the commencement of trial against current Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justce Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel , for alleged non – declaration of assets .
“ This was consequent to application filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau to the CCT Chairman yesterday (Friday) for the trial to commence against the Chief Justice of Nigeria on six counts .
“ However , service of summons has been effected on the defendant .
“ The three – man panel , led by Justice Danladi Y . Umar , will commence the trial on Monday , January 14 , 2019 , at its courtroom, situated along Jabi Daki biyu , Saloman Lar Way , Abuja , at about 10 am .
“ The application was filed (Friday) by the operatives of the CCB , dated January 11 , 2019 , and signed by Musa Ibrahim Usman and Fatima Danjuma Ali (Esq ), containing six – count charges all borders on non – declaration of assets January 12 , 2019 . ”
The planned arraignment of Onnoghen, who is the Chairman , National Judicial Commission , followed a petition by a civil society group, Anti – Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative .
The petition , dated January 7 , 2019 , was signed by ARDI Executive Secretary , Dennis Aghanya , and was stamped “ received ” by the office of the CCB chairman on January 9 .
The ARDI, in the letter, alleged that “ Onnoghen was the owner of sundry accounts primarily funded through cash deposits made by himself up till as recently as 10 th August , 2016 , which appear to have been run in a manner inconsistent with financial transparency and the code of conduct for public officials . ”
In the petition obtained by Daybreak, the group said Onnoghen made five different cash deposits of $ 10 , 000 each on March 8 , 2011 , into Standard Chartered Bank Account 1062650; two separate cash deposits of $ 5 , 000 each followed by four cash deposits of $ 10 , 000 each on June 7 , 2011 .
It added that the CJN further made another set of five separate cash deposits of $ 10 , 000 each on June 27 , 2011 , and four more cash deposits of $ 10 ,000 each the following day.
The group alleged that prior to 2016 , Onnoghen appeared “ to have suppressed or otherwise concealed the existence of these multiple domiciliary accounts owned by him , as well as the substantial cash balances in them .”
It said , “ The discrepancy between Justice Walter Onnoghen ’ s two CCB forms that were filed on the same day is significant .
“ In filling the section on Details of Assets , particularly cash in Nigerian Banks , His Lordship , as Declarant SCN : 000014, mentioned only two bank accounts: Union Bank account number 0021464934 in Abuja , with balance of N 9 , 536 , 407 , as of 14 th November , 2014 , and Union Bank account number 0012783291 in Calabar , with balance of N11 , 456 , 311 as of 14 th November , 2014 .
“ The sources of the funds in these accounts are stated as salaries , estacodes and allowances.
“ As Declarant SCN : 000015 , His Lordship however lists seven bank accounts: Standard Chartered account 00001062667 , with balance of N 3 , 221 , 807 . 05 as of 14 th November , 2016 ; Standard Chartered account 00001062650 , with balance of $ 164 , 804 . 82 , as of 14 th November , 2016 ; Standard Chartered account 5001062686 , with balance of € 55 , 154 . 56 , as of 14 th November , 2016 . ”
Others are Standard Chartered Bank account 5001062679 with balance of £ 108 , 352 . 2 , as of 14 th November , 2016 ; Standard Chartered Bank account 5001062693 with balance of N8 ,131 , 195 . 27 , as of 14 th November , 2016 ; Union Bank account 00021464934 with balance of N23 , 261 , 568 . 89 , as of 14 th November , 2016 and Union Bank account 0012783291 with balance of N14 , 695 , 029 . 12 , as of 14 th November , 2016 .
The petitioner alleged that the foreign currencies in the Standard Chartered Bank accounts that were declared by the CJN had been in existence since 2011 , noting that the number one judicial officer in the country appeared to have concealed the substantial money in them .
It stated , “ It is curious that these domiciliary accounts were not declared in one of the two CCB Forms filed by Justice Onnoghen on the same day, 14 th December, 2016 . ”
The group stated that Onnoghen did not declare his assets immediately after taking office, contrary to Section 15 (1 ) of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act , stressing that he did not comply with the constitutional requirement for public servants to declare their assets every four years during their career .
Also alleged against him is that his Code of Conduct Bureau Forms (Form CCB 1 ) for 2014 and 2016 were dated and filed on the same day and the acknowledgement slips were issued for both on December 14 , 2016 — at which point , they said , Onnoghen had become the CJN .
Onnoghen assumed office as the CJN on March 6 , 2017 .
The ARDI said it believed its petition had established cases of suspicious financial and other transactions against the CJN “ and collusion between His Lordship and various banks related to Suspicious Transactions Reporting and financial transactions not justifiable by His Lordship ’ s lawful remuneration at all material times . ”
But the CJN , in his statement to the CCB , claimed that he forgot to make a declaration of his assets after the expiration of 2005 declaration in 2009 .
“ Following my appointment as CJN in 2016 , the need to make me declare my asset anew made me to realise the mistake and I did the declaration to cover the period in default .
“ I didn ’ t include my Standard Chartered Bank accounts in SCN 00004 because I believed they were not opened during the period covered by the declaration , ” Onnoghen was quoted to have said .
The CJN also reportedly claimed that he was initially keeping the foreign currencies at home, but later opened domiciliary bank accounts when he learnt that judicial officers were not supposed to keep money at home .
Onnoghen said he could not remember the total amount of money he had in his personal reserves.
The media aide to the CJN , Bassey Awassam , could not be reached for comments as calls made to his phone failed to connect .
Justice Danladi Umar of the CCT , who, himself , has been accused of corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will preside over the case.
The EFCC prosecutor is Mr . Festus Keyamo (SAN ), the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation ’ s spokesman .
The charges , prepared by Keyamo, an EFCC prosecutor, came two years after the commission cleared the CCT Chairman of any wrongdoing in a case of judicial bribery and racketeering .
Justice Umar was charged but was never arraigned by the EFCC.
Reacting to the development, the President , Pan Niger Delta Forum , Chief Edwin Clark , said the South – South region would not accept the harassment and removal of Onnoghen.
He stated that the planned prosecution of Onnoghen was a ploy by Buhari to remove the CJN and install his candidate as CJN , adding that the move would be resisted by the Niger Delta people .
Clark said , “ The news of the (planned ) arraignment of the CJN came to us as a surprise . He has been doing his job satisfactorily ; he is an intelligent man.
But Mr . President , who never wanted him to be appointed , before the election , he now wants to remove him in order to put his own candidate as CJN so that after rigging the election , he would set up the tribunal that would try the case .
“ If he didn ’ t declare his assets , there is a procedure . Why didn ’ t they follow that procedure ? This harassment will not be accepted by us . ”
A pro – democracy group, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution , also said it would resist the planned removal of the CJN .
CDNDC , in a statement by its Convener, Ariyo – Dare Atoye , said , “ From the outset , the despotic Buhari regime had fruitlessly sought to control and undermine the judiciary to do its illegal bidding , but it failed .
“ The unfolding plot is part of Buhari ’ s plan to drive Nigeria into a closed society where only extremists can survive . We will mobilise Nigerians to resist another phase of assault on the judiciary .”
Presidency plotting to annex judiciary , alleges PDP.
But the Peoples Democratic Party, has accused the Presidency of plotting to destabilise and annex the judiciary ahead of the 2019 general elections .
It also alleged that the All Progressives Congress and a cabal in the Presidency were hounding the CJN and allegedly seeking his removal so as to cause a constitutional crisis , instill fear in judicial officers and pave the way for the foisting of a pliable CJN that would do their biddings on electoral matters.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary , Mr . Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement also said this had become worrisome following allegations that the APC was seeking a new CJN that would allegedly aid its rigging schemes as well as execute the plot to use the court to detain and put opposition members and outspoken members of civil society organisations out of circulation during the general elections .
Ologbondiyan, who is also the Director , Media and Publicity , PDP Presidential Campaign Council, urged Nigerians , the United Nations and all international bodies to unite in defence of the nation’ s democracy, especially at this very critical time in the country ’s political development.
He said , “ Moreover , if President Buhari is committed to cleaning up the system as he claims , we challenge him to allow the Inspector – General of Police , Ibrahim Idris , whose tenure has expired and who had also been rejected by Nigerians due to his manifest partisanship , to go .
“ President Buhari should also ask Amina Zakari to recuse herself from INEC following her rejection by Nigerians over issues of impropriety in her appointment as Chairman of the Presidential Election Collation Committee . ”
He added , “ Furthermore , we challenge Mr . President to also commence plans for the immediate prosecution of members of his campaign organisation , including his co -chairman, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu , and the (factional ) National Chairman of his APC , Adams Oshiomhole over the allegations of corruption against them .
Also , the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar , warned Buhari and the ruling APC not to throw Nigeria into an avoidable crisis over their alleged desperation to sack Onnoghen.
Atiku , in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr . Phrank Shaibu , said , “ But we warn that despite the clandestine meetings in the highest echelon of the APC and also involving some top officials of the Federal Government, which include the CCT , neither Buhari nor the APC can re – write the Nigerian Constitution .
“ Heavens did not fall when the PDP lost to the APC in 2015 . And heavens will not fall now that the APC is sure to lose to the PDP, seeing that the APC ’s plan to rig in the forthcoming elections will not pull through . ”
He warned that if Buhari and the APC succeeded in the current plot , it then should be ready for an epic battle , the end of which no one could predict , and the consequences of which could only be imagined .
Atiku alleged that the desperation of Buhari was to get Onnoghen out of the way and appoint an Acting CJN .
In the same vein , opposition parties on the platform of the Coalition of United Political Parties are planning a one million – man march to protest the planned trial of Onnoghen before the CCT .
The coalition ’ s first national spokesperson , Imo Ugochinyere , disclosed this in a statement on Saturday .
“ Nigerian opposition will immediately commence mobilisation for a one million -man march to save the Nigerian judiciary from President Buhari ’ s reign of destruction, ” he said .
He described Onnoghen’ s planned arraignment as undemocratic and unconstitutional.
He said the plan was the latest in the strategies being deployed by the present administration to rig the forthcoming elections .
He added , “ The Presidency had, during the appointment of Justice Onnoghen, shown its card that it was not comfortable with his appointment hence it was delayed until President Buhari was hurried out of the country due to perennial illness .
“ Justice Onnoghen has since shown that he is fair, firm , and able to do justice and will not succumb to the pressure of a Presidency that is planning to rig an election as the only hope of winning a reelection following their rejection by the Nigerian people.
“ This dastardly move by the Presidency is the last desperate act of an outgoing government to blackmail the CJN out of office and bring in a rogue judge to allow APC ’ s rigging . ”
Meanwhile , a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association , Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN ), has condemned the planned arraignment of Onnoghen on charges of non – declaration of assets .
Chief Agbakoba, SAN, described the development as one of the most draconian breaches of the Nigerian Constitution ever witnessed in the country .
He said , “ If this is correct , then it will be one of the most draconian breaches of the Constitution Nigerian has ever seen .
“ In the event that the CJN is complicit in anything , there are only two procedures to deal with him .
“ One is to lay an impeachment charge against him in the Senate and if he is found guilty , the Senate will proceed to remove him upon a prayer by two- thirds of the members of the Senate . That is the constitutionally- prescribed procedure . ”
Also , another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr . Sebastin Hon , has described the charges of non – declaration of assets preferred against the CJN as political .
While conceding that the CJN does not enjoy immunity against criminal prosecution , he stated that the charges had the tendency of destroying the judiciary or gagging it .
He said in his statement that what the Federal Government ought to do was to “ in the interest of national peace and cohesion ” defer “ the filing of those charges till an opportune time – since there is no limitation of time in criminal proceedings ” .
He also reminded “ the federal prosecutors ” , who filed the case , of the decisions of the Court of Appeal , “ to the effect that unless and until the NJC pronounces a judicial officer guilty , he cannot be arraigned in court . ”
He said in a statement , “ While I know that the Chief Justice of Nigeria does not enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution , I see this move by the Federal Government as dangerously political and tendentious.
“ Suddenly , we woke to see a petition leaked to the informal or social media, allegedly received by the Code of Conduct on 9 th January , 2019 .
Suddenly, we are told charges have been filed against the CJN . ”
But the Chairman , Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption , Prof . Itse Sagay (SAN ), says the planned prosecution of the CJN shows that no one is above the law.
Sagay,SAN, said that although the prosecution of the CJN was saddening , it had shown that Nigeria was slowly becoming a nation of laws .
The senior advocate also responded to the arraignment of the President of the NBA , Mr . Paul Usoro (SAN ), last year.
The PACAC chairman said , “ It shows that in Nigeria, nobody is above the law. I do not rejoice neither am I pleased that such high officials are being probed or investigated but it shows that in Nigeria, the law is working and that the rule of law operates and that no one is higher than the law.
“ That is the good aspect of it . Otherwise, I am not happy about it but if the reason arises why they should be investigated or invited and they are invited , it shows that the Nigerian legal system is working and that the rule of law operates but if it is you or I , you know that automatically , we will be indicted ; but when the bigger guns in the country , who have all the power are also being indicted , it means it is a good sign for the rule of law in Nigeria. ”
When reminded of the fact that the CJN would be arraigned before Danladi Umar of the CCT , who has also been accused of corruption , Sagay said the Federal Government had no other option .
He said , “ I see a point . It is a sad reflection on the state of corruption in Nigeria but I think at the end of the day, everybody will come to justice and we will have a clean slate. This is the best we can do now . ”
Dennis Aghanya , the Executive Secretary of the Anti – Corruption Research and Data -Based Initiative , is the author of the petition to the Code of Conduct Tribunal in which he alleged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen , failed to declare his assets .
The petitioner is one of the founding members of the Buhari Organisation and he is the pioneer National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change. Buhari contested the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the party.
Aghanya is and has been canvassing support for the President since he assumed office.
He pleaded with the National Assembly to forgive Buhari when the lawmakers threatened to impeach him for spending $ 496 m to buy Tucano jets for the military to fight Boko Haram in the North -East without following due process .
Although Aghanya said Buhari ’s action might have violated the laid down procedure , his intention was altruistic .
Aghanya in 2017 lauded the efforts of the Kano State Governor , Abdullahi Ganduje, in the fight against corruption through curtailing drug abuse in the state .
Aghanya ’ s group honoured the governor with an award of Best Governor in Curtailing Drug Abuse in the country .
At the 2017 ARDI Media Merit Award of Excellence in Abuja , Aghanya said , “ Governor Ganduje represents most of the values that the ARDI as an organisation is known for supporting the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
“ To be specific , he has taken the anti -corruption campaign to the grassroots by inaugurating the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti – Corruption Commission offices in all the 44 local governments of the state . ”
He added , “ The Ganduje administration remains committed to the fight against corruption in line with President Buhari ’ s campaign promises and his administration ’ s determination to end corruption .”
The Nigerian Bar association, NBA, yesterday described the planned arraignment of the CJN as Assault, Intimidation and Desecration of the Judiciary and Must be Stopped.
According to a statement signed by the President, Paul Usuro, SAN, said that Nigerians have witnessed again the targeted assault of the judiciary by agents of the Federal Government of Nigeria (“FGN”) epitomized by today’s media trial of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honorable Mr. Justice Walter S N Onnoghen, GCON (“CJN”).
He said “According to media reports which have now been validated by the Statement of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (“CCT”) that was released today an application was “filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau to the CCT Chairman yesterday for the trial to commence against the Chief Justice of Nigeria on six count charges” and that the CCT
“will commence the trial on Monday, 14th January 2019”. The Nigerian Bar Association unequivocally condemns this assault, intimidation and desecration of the Judiciary by FGN agencies and demands that it be stopped immediately.
He further added that In Nganjiwa v Federal Republic of Nigeria (2017) LPELR-43391(CA), the Court of Appeal made it very clear that any misconduct attached to the office and functions of a judicial officer must first be reported to and handled by the National Judicial Council (“NJC”) pursuant to the provisions of our laws. Only after the NJC has pronounced against such judicial officer can the prosecuting agencies of the Federal Government proceed against him. As the Court pointed out, these requirements of the law are anchored on the overriding principles of separation of powers between the executive, the judiciary and the legislature and on the need to preserve, promote and protect the independence of the judiciary.
“Our respective liberties and the rule of law are best protected and preserved if the judiciary remains independent and shielded from intimidation and assault by the other arms of the government.
“In Nganjiwa v FRN (supra), the Court of Appeal made reference to Rule 3 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of February 2016 (“Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers”)and held that the said Rule 3 “makes provision in relation to fidelity to the Constitution and the Law”. The provisions in regard to assets declaration as they apply to all public officers including the CJN are contained in both the Constitution and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act 1991, the enabling law that establishes both the Code of Conduct Bureau (“CCB”) and the CCT.
The fidelity which judicial officers therefore owe “to the Constitution and the Law” pursuant to Rule 3 of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers encompasses compliance with the provisions relating to assets declarations as contained in the Constitution and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. Any infraction in that regard by a judicial officer, as the Court of Appeal rightly held, constitutes a misconduct by the judicial officer and becomes the subject matter for discipline by the NJC as a condition precedent to any possible prosecution of the judicial officer by any of the FGN’s prosecuting agencies.
“Why has FGN decided to embark on this anomalous course of charging the CJN before the CCT without first presenting whatever facts it purportedly has against His Lordship to the NJC for its deliberation and determination? The Petition that triggered the CCB action was on its face received by the Bureau on 09 January 2019 and the Charge was promptly drafted and is dated the following day, 10 January 2019 – giving the CCB a record 24 hours for completion of its investigation and the drafting of the said Charge and ancillary processes! If one contemplates the fact that the CCT arraignment is scheduled to take place on 14 January 2019, we have in total a record number of 3 (three) working days between the receipt and processing of the petition, investigation, preparation of Charge and ancillary processes and the arraignment! Such unprecedented speed and efficiency in Nigeria’s criminal justice administration! It is clear, given the rush with which this matter was conducted by the CCB, that the NJC was not privy to it and did not conduct its mandatorily required disciplinary processes prior to the filing of the Charge before the CCT.
” We still wonder why the FGN choose to deviate from the laid down and explicit provisions of the law as expounded in Nganjiwa v FRN (supra). Could it be that it was misadvised? Or is this a naked show of power and force by agencies of the FGN? And why embark on the media trial of the CJN? This, unfortunately, is a predilection of the FGN’s prosecuting agencies with the possible exception of the Federal Ministry of Justice. As the NBA pointed out in its International Anti-Corruption Day Statement that was issued on 09 December 2018 “media trial of persons charged with corrupt practices . . . amount to corruption itself. Indeed, those orchestrated media trials degrade and corrupt the justice administration system quite apart from the incalculable (but obviously intended) damage that it does to persons who may ultimately be discharged and acquitted. In point of fact, it is corrupt practice to use as license or hide under the cover of the fight against corruption to recklessly destroy the names, characters and reputations of persons who have not been found guilty of corrupt practices by competent courts and who may ultimately be pronounced innocent of such charges.” These media trials must, alongside the on-going desecration and assault of the judiciary, cease forthwith.
“There are two final issues that we must touch upon in this Statement, albeit, briefly. First, could it possibly be a coincidence that the current assault on the judiciary is taking place only weeks to the 2019 National Election? Apart from the conduct itself being wrongful and deplorable, its timing is condemnable. FGN will find it difficult to convince any reasonable person that its assault against the CJN and by extension the judiciary is not aimed at emasculating that arm of the government and intimidating our Judges ahead of the 2019 National Elections. In our afore-referenced International Anti-Corruption Day Statement, the NBA had deplored “conducts that qualify as . . . political non-accountability, absence of transparency and impunity in public service.” The FGN’s conduct in this instance qualifies, amongst others, as “impunity in public service”.
” As a final point, it is also difficult for a disinterested observer not to see a pattern of consistent assault by agencies of the FGN on the heads of the two independent arms of government, to wit, the legislature and the judiciary, starting with the prosecution of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the CCT and now, the ill-fated prosecution of the CJN before the same CCT. The impression must not be created that the agencies of the Executive arm of the FGN are interested in destabilizing and laying prostrate the other arms of the Government and in the process eliminating and destroying any and all voices of dissent and checks and balances. That is not desirable for the democracy that we strive to build neither is it good for the image of the Government. We urge restraint on the part of Government and demand that the CCB follow due process in proceeding against the CJN by complying with Nganjiwa’s Judgment (supra) and other similar judicial precedents. This continuing attack on the justice sector must cease forthwith. FGN and its agencies must desist from debasing the rule of law “
