Lawyers condemn harassment of ex-Kebbi State acting CJ

Major stakeholders in the Judiciary have condemned the alleged unfair treatment meted to former Acting Chief Judge of Kebbi State, Justice Elizabeth Karatu.

Justice Karatu was allegedly barred from gaining access to her courtroom to deliver certain judgment by an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

Reacting, president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro (SAN), at a world press conference, said the association received a report from the NBA, Kebbi State branch, on the matter, adding that it was still studying the report.

Also, the convener of Access to Justice, Joseph Otteh said it was an assault on the rule of law and democracy and a way of preventing courts from playing their roles as arbiters of disputes and guardians of the liberties of the people.

Speaking, Paul Ananaba (SAN) asked the NSCDC to apologise to Justice Elizabeth Karatu, describing the action of the security officer as unacceptable.

“How can you lock a court premise? Is it a public holiday under the Public Holidays Act?” he asked.

“I thought that an agency like the Civil Defence should have come to apologise not just to the judge, much more to the judiciary and the legal profession.

“I think what has happened based on the response of the Civil Defence is not acceptable. The chief judge of any state of the federation is the head of the court.”

The NSCDC official claimed he was acting based on the directive given to him by the management.