The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, yesterday, said that contrary to claims that he had fallen out with pres. Buhari over his refusal to obey court orders granting bail to some suspects implicated in the loot of $2.1b meant for arms procurement, he was not at war with the president or any agency of the government.
A top official said that though there were concerns among judges that some of their judgement in granting bail to suspects by some government agencies, there was also annoyance in the judiciary that many judges had aided and abetted top government officials to loot the treasury through frivolous orders and injunctions which were against the interest of the country and its people.
The senior official close to the CJN said:
“I don’t think that the CJN has issued any statement on any court order relating to the investigation of the arms cash, individuals or groups since he believes that the courts are well able to discharge their duties as enshrined in the laws of Nigeria.
“Again, the thinking in the judiciary seems to be that some judges misused their offices to encourage some corrupt key government functionaries to slip away to foreign land with huge public funds under the guise of seeking avant-garde medicare.
“If the question may be asked, was it the CJN that ordered those judges to work against the interest of Nigeria by granting frivolous orders that enabled corrupt Nigerian public officers to make away with public funds?
“Let it be known that the CJN does not and will never encourage any form of misdeed having taken the oath of office to remain incorruptible, just and firm in the discharge of his duties to Nigeria and its people.
“I can tell you that the CJN is aware of the frivolous orders being issued by some judges and he cannot, therefore, sympathise with people who threw their integrity to the winds when they should have done the right thing at the right time.”
Vanguard