Angered by President Muhammadu Buhari’s disdain for court orders, some concerned judges have vowed to defend the independence of the judiciary by always looking at the letters of the law, ahead of the president’s famous body language and emotions in discharging their duties.
During last Wednesday’s President Buhari’s maiden media chat, he dismissed concerns of the penchant of security agencies under him to flagrantly violate valid court orders, especially as it relates to the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
The president’s aloofness as it concerns the growing disobedience to court orders has ruffled some feathers especially senior lawyers who have raised the alarm that it is a sure way to anarchy.
A very close source in the judiciary confided in Teamreporters that the judges across the three echelons of the judiciary; high court, appeal court and Supreme Court are feeling ill at ease with the president and therefore have vowed to give their all to maintain the sanctity of the judiciary.
The source said, the vociferous opposition from the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA and other senior lawyers against President Buhari was just the vent through which the bench is ventilating its frustrations with the president.
“I can tell you that the famed body language of the president won’t sway these judges. They have vowed to continue to follow the letters of the law, grant bail where the law says so, without let or hindrance, without even considering the sentiments and effusive emotions of the president on any matter.
“The judges are really seething with anger and you can see how easy it was for a federal high court judge in Abuja to do the Pontius Pilate in the case of Nnamdi Kanu; wash off his hands. That is just the sign of how frustrated these judges are. The other time, Justice Kolawole berated the security agencies and gave them strict orders never to re-arrest the AIT man on any frivolous charges.
“I can tell you that it may get to a point where judges will one after the other excuse themselves from corruption cases, because their thinking is that the president is inciting Nigerians against them. And they are no longer comfortable with it,” the source disclosed.
The president has faced growing discontentment and has come under vitriolic attacks owing to his justification for disobedience to rule of law. A US based lawyer has even petitioned the UN and the US president over the issue and has even gathered up to 1000 online signatures to force the president to resign if he continues to flout court orders.
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