Falana disagrees with NBA, demands prosecution of arrested judges

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has disagreed with the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, over its call for the unconditional release of the seven judges that were arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS.

Falana, who instead called for their admittance to bail on self recognition and immediate prosecution, described the NBA call as an embarrassment to the incorruptible members of the bar.

Falana stated this on Sunday, adding that since the detained judges “are presumed innocent until the contrary is proved by the state, they should be admitted to bail in self recognisance.”

Read also: Presidency, NBA set to clash over arrest of judges

He also called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to ensure that the judges were immediately arraigned without delay.

“However, it is a matter of grave concern that the legal profession has allowed the denigration of the hallowed temple of justice because of the misconduct of a few corrupt judges.

“For several years, judges, who committed grave criminal offences, were not prosecuted but merely retired by the authorities on the recommendation of the NJC.

“Although the National Judicial Council recently recommended the dismissal and prosecution of a judge for extorting the sum of N197million from a litigant, the authorities had paid lip service to the menace of judicial corruption in the country.”

Continuing, Falana said the NBA has information on all the corrupt judges in the country but has been shielding them.

“In particular, the NBA, which has information on all corrupt judges and lawyers in the country, has continued to shield them to the embarrassment of incorruptible members of the bar and the bench’’, he said.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews….

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