HURIWA demands arrest, probe, and prosecution to serve as a deterrent
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Muhammadu Buhari on Monday conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON), the second highest honour in the land, on Tanko Muhammad at the swearing-in of Olukayode Ariwoola as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The President replaced Muhammad the day news broke of his resignation a week after media reports of a petition jointly written by all his 14 colleagues on the Supreme Court alleging bad administration and financial corruption against him.
Muhammed got the equivalent of a golden handshake from Buhari to the consternation of many members of the Bar and the Bench.
Several Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), civil rights groups, and some state branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) unanimously said the allegations must be probed and Buhari must not sweep them under the carpet, per The PUNCH.
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has also joined the clamour for Muhammad to be arrested and the grave allegations of maladministration and mismanagement of funds against him investigated.
HURIWA first asked the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
Then it upped the ante and demanded the arrest of Muhammad by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“The resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad as the Chief Justice of Nigeria is not enough; the EFCC and the ICPC must swing into action, investigate then if a cause if action is ascertained, then arrest and prosecute him over the corruption allegations levelled against him by the 14 justices of the Supreme Court if a prima facie evidence exists,” HURIWA demanded in a statement.
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Echo of Onnoghen’s probe and removal
“Tanko must be prosecuted just as his predecessor, Walter Onnoghen, who was probed and later removed on a controversial note following some allegations against him which were probed by both the NJC and the CCT,” said the statement issued by HURIWA National Coordination Emmanuel Onwubiko, according to The PUNCH.
“The investigation and probable prosecution of Tanko, if indicted, will set a precedent that Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade is not a joke unless it is a joke.
“Tanko’s prosecution if found culpable of those sets of allegations will also serve as deterrent for any proven corrupt justices that the judiciary won’t be a haven for scoundrels.”