By Olusegun Olanrewaju
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Muhammad, yesterday warned that the judiciary will henceforth resist any attempt by individuals, institutions, or agencies of government to oppress, suppress and intimidate any judicial officer in the country.
Muhammad, who noted judges are not conquered species, added the judiciary would no longer take kindly to any such embarrassment and harassment of judicial officers by anybody irrespective of his or her status or position in the country.
The CJN referred to the invasion of the official residence of one of the justices of the Supreme Court, Mary Odili, by some alleged security operatives, warning that the silence of the judiciary should never be mistaken for stupidity or weakness.
He noted that judicial officers by the nature of their work are conservative “but not conquered species and should not be pushed further than this by any individual, institution or agency of the government.”
The warning was issued at the inauguration of 72 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja.
The CJN said from now on, every search or arrest warrant on any judicial officer must be issued with the knowledge and approval of the chief judge of the respective state/Federal High Court, as the case may be.
On a very sad note, he said, “I must say that we are jolted with (the) embarrassing news of the invasion of the official residence of one of our justices, Justice Mary Peter Odili, on Friday, October 29, 2021, by men suspected to be security operatives, acting on a search warrant purportedly obtained from an Abuja magistrate’s court under questionable circumstances.
Muhammad added, “I must make it known to all and sundry that we have had enough dosage of such embarrassments and harassments of our judicial officers across the country and we can no longer take any of such shenanigans.
“The silence of the judiciary should never be mistaken for stupidity or weakness. By the nature of our work, we are conservative, but not conquered species, and should not be pushed further than this by any individual, institution, or agency of the government.
“With time, those taking the judiciary as a mere weakling will soon realise that it is from the calmest seas, we often experience the fiercest storms. The time to oppress, suppress, and intimidate judicial officers is gone.
“No one, irrespective of his or her status or position in the country, should test our will because the consequence of such unwarranted provocation will be too dire to bear.
“We shall begin to resist any clandestine attempt to silence or ridicule us to oblivion. Nigeria, to the best of my knowledge, is not a lawless society.
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“We should begin to do things that will project us favourably and rightly, too, to the international community. No law permits anyone to invade, subdue or overawe any Nigerian citizen in his or her residence with a flimsy, fraudulently obtained search warrant.
He said efforts were on to ensure that henceforth every search or arrest warrant must be issued with the knowledge and approval of the chief judge of the respective state or Federal High Court as may be applicable.
