The National Judicial Council on Thursday demanded the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to thoroughly investigate the attack on judges in Ekiti State and bring the culprits to justice without delay.

The NJC at its emergency meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloma Mukhtar, who is also the chairman of the council, also asked Abba to provide adequate protection for the judges in the state.

A statement by the council’s Acting Director of Information Unit, Mr. Soji Oye, said the council condemned in strong terms the attacks on the court on September 22 and 25, 2014.

The NJC’s emergency meeting on Thursday followed the petition by the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, to both the NJC and the Commissioner of Police in the state, alleging that the state’s Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, was the one who led the thugs that attacked the court.

Oye said in a statement that the various petitions by the Justice Daramola and others were looked into.

He stated, “Following the recent unfortunate and worrisome incidents in Ekiti State Judiciary, particularly in the High Court Complex, Ado-Ekiti, the National Judicial Council held an Emergency Meeting on October 2, 2014, under the Chairmanship of Hon. Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar (GCON) and considered the various complaints and petitions forwarded to it.

“At the end of the meeting, Council decided as follows: In very strong terms condemned the attacks on the Judiciary and Judicial Officers in general across the country and in particular, the one carried out in High Court Complex, Ado-Ekiti, on September 22 and 25, 2014.

“Requested the Inspector-General of Police to take over and investigate the alleged attacks on Hon. Justices John Adeyeye and Isaac Olusegun Ogunyemi, some members of staff of the court and vandalisation of property of the High Court of Justice, Ado-Ekiti and bring the culprits to justice.

“Requested the Inspector-General of Police to, as a matter of urgency, provide adequate security for judicial officers and the Judiciary in Ekiti State. All petitions forwarded by all parties to the council on the matter are being looked into.”

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has commended the NJC’s intervention, but asked the Nigerian Bar Association to do more than condemning the incident by applying for fiat to prosecute the culprits.

Source: http://www..com.ng/index.php/political-news/item/248-ekiti-court-attack-njc-demand-immediate-prosecution-of-culprits-protection-for-judges