Where is Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN)?
Amidst rumours that he had been ill, he was on Monday absent
at the swearing-in ceremony of 72 senior advocates of Nigeria.
The 66-year-old chief justice has not been seen in public
for weeks.
The special session for the swearing-in of SANs, which was
held at the supreme court in Abuja, also marked the beginning of the 2020/2021
legal year of the apex court.
The unavailability of the CJN is unusual as he is mostly
known to carry out important functions such as this.
The CJN had inaugurated eight justices of the supreme court
on November 6 but since then, there are conflicting details on when he was last
seen in public.
Although no reason was officially given for his absence,
It was learnt that he had been ill and was due to be flown abroad for
treatment.
However, before he could be flown out, he reportedly caught
an infectious disease.
NigerianEye was unable to ascertain his whereabouts on Monday
as nobody was willing to volunteer information.
Represented at the swearing-in by Bode Rhodes-Vivour,
justice of the supreme court, the CJN said: “The judiciary, like no other arm
of government, had suffered a great deal of internal and external shocks in the
course of the year.
“In the course of the year, we lost some of our colleagues
in the bench and the bar.
“Our own Hon. Justices Karibi Whyte, JSC, CFR and Sylvester
Umaru Onu, JSC, CON, died on Friday 23rd May, 2020 and Monday 30th November
2020 respectively.
“Similarly, we lost the chief judges of Yobe and Kogi
states, Hon. Justices Garba Musa Nabaruma and Nasir Ajana.
“Within the same period, we lost the President, customary
court of appeal, Kogi state; Justice Jude Okeke of the FCT high court, former
chief judge of Niger state, Jibrin Ndatsu Ndajiwo; retired judge of Lagos
state, justice Isiaka Isola Oluwa; justice Maikaita Bako of Katsina state high
court; and Justice Fidelis Ngwu of Enugu state judiciary, among others.”
Muhammad said the SAN rank which is a fervent desire of
every legal practitioner only comes by way of “hard work, perseverance,
endurance and courage”.
“You must roll up your sleeves and get down to work with
unrestrained enthusiasm and dexterity; then you can begin to coast home to
victory,” he said.
However, he warned the senior lawyers not to use their
position of authority to disobey court orders.
“Obedience of lawful court orders has no alternative in any
sane society. A threat to this is simply a call for anarchy,” he said.
“I believe strongly that there is no right thinking citizen
of this country who will tread that path of infamy. We must respect and duly
observe all the tenets of an enduring democracy.
“Nigeria is not a lawless society and no one, irrespective
of his or her status, should turn it into one.
“Most times, some persons who, by sheer stroke of
providence, find themselves in position of authority, flagrantly disobey lawful
court orders, and even make a boast of it.
“Such acts will henceforth not be condoned. In fact, they
will be met with severe consequences. we must extinguish such raging fire
before it consumes us.”
Some of the newly inaugurated SANs are Bolaji Owasanoye,
chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences
(ICPC); Uwemedimo Nwoko, Akwa Ibom state attorney-general and commissioner for
justice and Peter Mrakpo, Delta state attorney-general and commissioner for
justice.
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