By John Austin Unachukwu
PROTESTS and appeals have trailed last week’s abduction of Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu of the Benin Division of the Court of Appeal.
Justice Iheme-Nwosu was kidnapped along the Benin-Agbor Road on her way to work. Her police orderly was killed.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) condemned the abduction and appealed to the kidnappers to free the judge.
Ozekhome, a kidnap victim, wrote an open letter to the kidnappers.
He said: “The abduction in broad daylight in Benin City of the Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu (JCA) is the saddest reminder of a beleaguered nation in the asphixiating throes of death by instalment.
“That her Police Orderly that accompanied her was brutally killed and dismembered in the process, in a most horrific manner, sends the chill down our spines. This is a noble woman of high virtue, a fecund mind and one of the finest Jurists of great erudition, currently dispensing justice in our intermediate Court, the Court of Appeal.”
According to him, Nigeria has been turned into “a gruesome and crimson theatre of blood, with absolutely no government protection in sight.
“Whilst Nigerians are being mauled down across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, the politicians are ever busy politicking, instead of spreading democracy dividends.
“While the ink is yet to dry on paper as regards the February, 2019 elections, mindless politicians are already busy, strategising and plotting for 2023! Nigeria has become an over-heated and over politicised enclave with no space for real genuine governance. And the hapless masses are the victims of this societal degeneracy and misplaced values.
“The Judiciary, the weakest and whipping child of the three arms of government (Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper No 78), is mostly at the receiving end.”
Ozekhome observed: “A minister or Senator (both of the Executive and Legislative arms of government, respectively), can afford to travel in convoys of fully armed security operatives.
“A Judge is mercifully left with just one Policeman, usually armed with obsolete firearms. He is plucked down and dismembered like a chicken. Yet, the Judge, especially Justices of the Court of Appeal, must traverse the nation, handling never ending sensitive appeals from election petition Tribunals, in jurisdictions other than their ordinarily accustomed places of abode or sitting.
“They are thus compelled by the cause and course of duty to travel by road, the very bad roads that are unmanned by security personnel. They thus fall easy prey to marauders. Justice Iheme-Nwosu, (JCA), has just suffered this fate.”
He pleaded with the abductors to set the judge free.
Ozekhome said: “I beg you, captors or kidnappers of Justice Chioma, in the name of Almighty God,to please release her unhurt. See her as your mother that you would never do anything to hurt no matter the circumstances. I beg you also in the name of humanity and of womanhood, as you read this, to set free, unharmed, unmolested and unhurt, this judicial Amazon. Please, please, please. I beg you”.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Benin branch (The Lion Bar) and Imo branch also boycotted and shut down all courts in both states in response to the incident.
The Owerri branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to which the Justice belongs, also declared a court boycott and prayer sessions for the safety and release of the Judge.
A statement signed by the Chairman of the branch Mr. D. O Nosike stated: “The the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri branch shall boycott all courts in Imo State in protest over the kidnapping of Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme and the gruesome murder of her orderly, an Inspector of Police and a Nigerian citizen.”
“ The chairman thanked and urged all the members of the Bar to pray for God’s intervention for the freedom of Justice Nwosu-Iheme (JCA) within the remaining days of the court boycott.
“Take further notice that the lawyers boycott of all the Courts in Imo State will continue today (last Wednesday) till Thursday and all the members of the Bar in Imo State are urged to ensure full compliance,” Nosike stated.
The NBA, Benin branch also declared a three-day boycott of courts to protest the kidnap of Justice Iheme-Nwosu.
Chairman of the Benin branch, Prince Collins Ogiegbean, who made the declaration at a briefing, said the boycott would run from last Wednesday till last Friday.
He added that if by then the abducted justice still remained in captivity, they would have no option than to extend the boycott.
“The branch also set up a task force headed by Mr. Douglass Ogbankwa to ensure compliance within all courts in Benin jurisdiction, adding that the taskforce would liaise with chairmen of other branches of the NBA in Edo State to monitor as well as ensure total compliance.
Prince Ogiegbean, who was flanked by Mr. Adesina Ogunlana, the immediate-past chairman of Ikeja branch of NBA; and Mr. Habeeb Lawal, National Assistant Publicity Secretary of NBA, also called on the state government and security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities to ensure the protection of lives and properties, which according to him, “remained the primary responsibility of government”.
“We are calling on state government and heads of security agencies to live up to their billing. Face the task squarely in protecting lives and properties and to go the extra mile to see that Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu is rescued and that this should be the last time such will happen.
“It offends our senses as persons living in a society such as ours. If the orderly of a justice can be shot and the justice taken away in broad daylight what happens to those of us who do not have security around us?”
Read Also: Appeal Court Justice kidnapped
Meanwhile, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Danmallamý Mohammed, said operatives of his command were working hard with other security agencies to secure the release of the abducted judge.
In another development the traditional ruler of Nkwerre ancient kingdom, Eshi of Nkwerre and Deputy Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Chijioke Okwara and his kinsmen have appealed to the Federal Government and the security agencies to do everything within their powers to rescue their daughter, Justice Iheme-Nwosu.
The monarch, who made the appeal last week, said the abduction was giving her kinsmen and women from Nkwerre sleepless nights.
He said: “We, who are the kinsmen of Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu, have not slept since she was kidnapped.
“I am speaking as the traditional ruler of Nkwerre and we are still at a loss that seven days after we have not heard anything about her.
“We still don’t understand why judicial officers whose duties are to interpret the laws of the land and to protect the common man are being abducted.
“We, therefore, condemn a situation where judges are not only being harassed but kidnapped.
“She is a judge of the Court of Appeal and if this kind of situation subsists, it would be very difficult for judges to carry out their constitutional duties.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government and the security agencies to immediately secure her release. Again we are appealing to the Federal Government to tackle the insecurity in the country.”
Leave a Reply