CJN threatens to punish rumour peddlers

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, on Monday, threatened to deal with propagators of false information across the country.

The CJN issued the warning in a statement signed by the Director of Press and Information, Supreme Court, Dr Festus Akande, in Abuja.

According to the statement, Tanko also debunked a report that he has ordered the transfer of a House of Representatives election petition matter in Delta State from the panel 3 to panel 2 of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.

The case involved a member representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Nicholas Mutu, whose election was being challenged and Collins Eselomo, the petitioner.

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Eselemo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had in June petitioned the CJN and requested the transfer of the case to another panel of the tribunal over alleged judicial misconduct in the handling of his case by the panel originally handling it.

The CJN implored members of the public “particularly politicians, to always conduct themselves with decorum and respect, especially when making weighty allegations and insinuations of that nature, as the consequences are always dire and far-reaching.”

The statement read: “The office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria has never at any time issued a letter or query of any sort with such information to the said panel and if at all such Information were to be communicated, we have our well-established official channel to do it.

“We, therefore, enjoined members of the public, particularly politicians, to always conduct themselves with decorum and respect, especially when making weighty allegations and insinuations of that nature, as the consequences are always dire and far-reaching. For the umpteenth time, rumour mongers and peddlers of malicious information should endeavour to apply caution and toe the path of honour and dignity.

“Anybody caught spreading such misleading and harmful information will certainly be made to face the full weight of the law to serve as a deterrent to the several others who are waiting eagerly in the queue to administer their own dose of infectious falsehood on the unsuspecting public.”

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