By Gideon Njoku
The Supreme Court has said that reports were fabricated against the Department of State Security, DSS, over a story which concerns the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, the Honourable Justice
Olukayode Ariwoola. It said that deliberate lies were told against the Service.
Reports were rife that the DSS had invited and interrogated the CJN over his visit to Rivers State where he was alleged to have made a partisan statement.
Ariwoola had gone to the State for the sole purpose of commissioning a judicial project carried out by the State Government.
However, the State Governor, Nyesom Wike, hosted him and members of his entourage to a banquet, where he invited members of the PDP G-5 whose leader he is.
The G-5, is made up of five PDP Governors opposed to the Leadership of the Party, as represented by National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, and its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar. They have, since after the Presidential Primary, distanced themselves from the PDP and its activities, including the Presidential Campaign, unless Ayu steps down from office. Led by Wike, the other members are: Samuel Ortom, Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu, and Seyi Makinde, Oyo. The CJN is from Oyo.
At the banquet, the CJN allegedly heaped praises on Wike and, allegedly too, expressed joy that his State Governor, Makinde, is a member of the G-5.
The alleged statements caused an uproar. The PDP, APC, groups and some individuals asked for the resignation from office of the CJN.
The Supreme Court, however, denied that the CJN made any such statement and alleged a plot to rubbish both the apex Court and the CJN.
But the denial did not stop the story that the DSS invited and interrogated the CJN over the statement attributed to him. It was also alleged that five Supreme Court Justices had asked the CJN to resign from office over the Rivers State incident.
But in a statement issued on Tuesday, and signed by its Director of Information and Press, Dr Festus Akande, the Supreme Court said the publication lied against the DSS and the five Supreme Court Justices whose names were not mentioned.
It said the DSS neither invited, nor interrogated the CJN, and that the story that five Justices had asked the CJN to resign over the samr issue is a lie from the pit of hell and, warned of consequences.
The statement reads in part:
“We have read with dismay and shock a publication with the above caption by an online media outfit, “People’s Gazette,” alleging that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, was grilled by the DSS for the remarks he made in ‘Port Harcourt at a state banquet’ and that ‘five Justices of Supreme Court are calling for his resignation.’
“Just like our earlier press statement debunking this barefaced falsehood and mischievous antics aimed at scoring very cheap and unpopular political gains in this era of aggressive and mudslinging politicking.
“We wish to state in very clear and unmistaken terms, that this is yet another round of the avalanche of lies that have been disingenuously packaged by individuals with unenviable pedigree to malign the character and personality of not just the CJN but several other Judicial Officers that they considered to be too unpliable and principled to be approached for any form of underhand dealings, especially as election cases (petitions) will soon be streaming to the tribunals (courts) for adjudication.
“It has become very obvious that those with sinister motives have perfected plans to unleash all manner of coordinated attacks on Judicial Officers, starting from the CJN with a view to arm-twisting and blackmailing and ridiculing them to silence, ultimately for their ulterior motives.
“For sure, it will only take an undiscerning mind to believe this string of falsehood, misinformation and blackmail. Nigerians are much wiser to fall for this armchair criticism and disingenuous sponsorships of paid crowds who masquerade as ‘civil society organizations’ to help them further their inordinate ambition of gagging and fettering the Nigerian Judiciary so that they could cowardly do their biddings.
“The publication, which was laced with tissues of lies, non-existent sources of information and unsubstantiated claims, clearly showed the unwholesome intentions of the authors.
“For the record, no single Justice of the Supreme has asked the CJN to resign, and no Justice of the Supreme Court has or is writing any letter of protest whatsoever.
“This stream of falsehood, as usual, is flowing from the same discredited source that is hell-bent on destroying the Judiciary for some selfish interest.
“The Supreme Court Justices are united and firmly behind the CJN; and are, as usual, all working assiduously to dispense justice without fear or favour.
“Neither the CJN nor the Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court or other Courts for that matter, are politicians, so, none of them should be dragged into politics in any form whatsoever.
“Our advice to this set of rabble-rousers whose stock in trade is character assassination via dissemination of false information to create tension and disaffection, is to have a rethink and engage in meaningful productive activities that will move the nation forward. A word is enough for the wise.”
