The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata has disclosed that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami may lose his Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank if found culpable in the invasion of the home of Mary Odili, a Supreme Court Justice.
Justice Odili is also the wife of former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili who is alleged to be undergoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Security operatives comprising the police and army stormed the Abuja home of Justice Odili on the 29th of October alleging that illegal activities were being carried out within its confines.
AGF Malami and the EFCC have distanced themselves from the invasion in separate statements.
NBA president, in a press briefing on Friday stated that:
“We are calling on the president, the head of the executive arm of government, to set up an independent panel of inquiry, to look into this assault on the judiciary, which is another arm of government because there is a dark cloud hanging and all fingers are pointing at the executive as being behind this action,” he said.
It behoves Mr president to step in immediately, to set up this panel of inquiry, which, at the minimum, will have a judicial officer and the NBA involved so that we can get to the bottom of this issue and ask who gave that instruction?
We note that the attorney-general of the federation has reportedly agreed to make himself available for investigation. This is consistent with the position of the National Executive Council of the NBA, to the effect that the attorney-general definitely has questions to answer. However, he cannot subject himself to a panel that he sets up. This is why the panel to be set up by the president is very necessary.
“If the attorney-general is found culpable, then as a lawyer, we will take him before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee; because if indeed, he is found to have given the directives that led to the invasion of the home of the Justice of the Supreme Court, then he is not fit to hold the office he occupies presently and continue to be the recipient of the privileges the profession has accorded to him.”
When asked if indeed the NBA had te power to discipline the AGF, Akpata said that,
“There is a mechanism, and that is for us to bring him before the LPDC and what does the LPDC do? What is the ultimate sanction, amongst others? He can be stopped from practising law. What does the LPPC do, amongst others? The LPPC can strip him of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and also the Body of Benchers can reconsider his life membership of that body. So, without mincing words, those are the steps that the NBA can take.”
The NBA President added that action will also be taken against Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna who issued the search warrant that led to the invasion Justice Odili’s home.
Read also:
Raid On Justice Mary Odili’s Residence: Malami Denies Involvement
Justice Odili Home Invasion: Malami May Lose SAN Rank if Culpable
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