The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to institute an investigation into the allegation of witch-hunting and vilification by certain highly placed people against a recently retired High Court judge in Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Justice Ifiok Ukana, while he was still in service through relevant anti-corruption agencies for necessary.
Debo Adeniran, CACOL’S Executive Chairman, in a statement issued by Adegboyega Otunuga, the group’s Coordinator, Media and Publications, recalled that Justice Ifiok Nkana, until recently a High Court judge in Akwa Ibom State, during a valedictory service organised for him by the Akwa Ibom State judiciary in Uyo, revealed how he was trailed by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) for two years, after he delivered judgment on a particular case.
Justice Nkana had stated openly during the course of the service that had in attendance the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom, Justice Godwin Abraham, that the SSS’ action was one of the most agonising moments in his life as a judge.
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He said the state Chief Judge, Justice Abraham, who he described as his friend and a born again Christian like him, refused to come to his aid when he reported the matter to him.
Adeniran called on President Buhari to order the two anti-corruption agencies, the Economic and Fincial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Crimes Commission (ICPC), to immediately wade into the cause of the alleged criminal intimidation of a serving judge in the course of duty towards bringing culprits to book in line with its anti-corruption posturing.
He said that the SSS should be investigated for the alleged abuse of power, with the culprits brought to book to serve as a deterrent.
According to Adeniran, such a full-scale investigation into the allegation was the only honourable way of assuring majority Nigerians that the war against corruption of the regime was still in due process and that the government remained committed to ridding the nation of its destructive effects.
