CLO Warns Politicians Against Attacks On Judges

The Civil Liberties
Organisation,  South-South  zone,  has warned against    incessant attacks and harassment of Judges and judicial officers in Rivers State and other parts of the country.
The CLO in a statement jointly signed by the Zonal  Chairman,Karl Chinedu Uchegbu and the Zonal Director, Mr. Steve Obodokwe decried the wanton political harassment of the Judges of courts and attempts to manipulate the judiciary by politicians not only in Rivers State but across the country.
The group frowns at the various protests by certain politicians and political groups in Rivers State against judges handling ongoing cases leading to tension in the state court complex, adding that  if anyone has anything against a judge, the due process of the law should be employed responsibly to seek redress through the appropriate institutions.
They further frowned at the  undue interference in the judiciary by politicians, stressing that the judiciary, which is the only hope of the common man, must not be subjected to any further ridicule so as not to give a free sail for dangerous precedents.
According to them,’’we are persuaded to also remind everybody that the judiciary particularly in Rivers State is just recovering from an impasse and no one wishes to take it back to those recent unfortunate days’’.
“We must not go back to those bad days where judges were cajoled giving that they entertain matters that affect all members of the public’’.
“The recent reports of the killing of certain security officials of the Rivers State judiciary complex was a bad omen that may have been triggered by the desperation of a section of the political class.
This in our view is not in our collective best interest and must be guided against’’, they said.
They called on the Federal Government to ensure the security of the live and the integrity of the judiciary and judicial officers, adding that from their view, the  Judges are under threat.
They however, cautioned politicians to leave the judges alone and allow them to freely do their job, as he enjoined the judges to dispense justice dispassionately and  without fear orfavour.
They also advised security agencies  to always tighten security around  judicial officers and the Courts so as to give them the confidence to freely dispense justice in a peaceful and safe atmosphere.