The NBA leader said he complained about the behaviour of Senator Bulkachuwa at the 102nd meeting of the National Judicial Council.
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Bolaji Owasanoye, to prosecute Senator Ahmad Bulkachuwa.
The federal lawmaker said recently on the floor of the Senate that he influenced some court decisions while his wife, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, was the President of the Court of Appeal.
In a statement on Wednesday, NBA chairman, Maikyau Chonoko, said the statements by the legislator were clearly admissions that he perverted the course of justice and interfered with due administration of justice, which makes him liable to be investigated and prosecuted even on his admission.
The statement read: “My attention was drawn to a viral video clip on the social media of the comments made by Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa on the floor of the Senate on June 12, 2023, at the valedictory session of the Senate of the 9th Assembly, before he was interrupted and stopped by the then Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
“Senator Bulkachuwa, in his remarks, amongst other things, referred to ‘confidential dealings’ he had had with some of his colleagues in the Senate. Probably, if the Senate President had not interrupted Senator Bulkachuwa, he would have made more vital/useful revelations that would have provided specific details of the ‘confidential dealings’ of some sort or the others he allegedly had with some of his colleagues.
“Notwithstanding, however, given the office held by his wife whom he clearly mentioned in his remarks, no one would be left in doubt as to the sort of help he either succeeded or did not succeed in securing for his colleagues, with whom he had since become good friends and still remain good friends.
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“The statements were clearly admissions by the senator, that he did attempt to, and/or actually perverted the course of justice/interfered with due administration of justice, which makes him liable to be investigated and prosecuted even on his admission. That this came with a huge negative impact on the integrity and the independence of the judiciary can only be an understatement.”
The NBA leader said he complained about the behaviour of Senator Bulkachuwa at the 102nd meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC) held on June 14, 2023, noting that his action was a direct attack on the integrity of the judiciary.
“The NJC condemned the actions of the senator in the strongest terms as an affront on the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
“It is in this regard that I call on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to immediately invite Senator Ahmad Muhammad Bulkachuwa for interrogation and proceed to prosecute him accordingly. I shall write a letter to both the IGP and the ICPC Chairman in this respect,” he added.
