The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to immediately invite Senator Ahmad Muhammad Bulkachuwa for interrogation and proceed to prosecute him accordingly.
Bulkachuwa, who was the Senator representing Bauchi South in the Ninth National Assembly, had during the valedictory session said that he influenced judicial decisions in favour of some senators while his wife, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, was President of the Court of Appeal between April 2014 and March 2020.
“My wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while (she) was in office, and she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended her help to my colleagues,” the senator had said
Reacting, NBA, in a statement by its President, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, on Wednesday, noted that the viral video clip of the comments made by the senator were clearly admissions that he did attempt to and/or actually perverted the course of justice/interfered with due administration of justice, which makes him liable to be investigated and prosecuted even on his admission.
It said that this came with a huge negative impact on the integrity and the independence of the Judiciary.
While reiterating the Bar’s commitment to the maintenance and defence of the integrity of the judiciary, Maikayau insisted that the Bar would not hesitate to take on anyone, either within or outside the legal profession, who takes steps or makes statements that are capable of undermining the independence of the judiciary and the impartiality judicial processes.
The NBA president also said that at the 102nd meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC) held earlier on Wednesday, he took the liberty of his membership of the council to complain about the “rather disgusting and despicable conduct of Senator Bulkachuwa, which was a direct attack on the integrity of the Judiciary.
He also said that the NJC condemned the actions of the Senator in the strongest terms as an affront on the integrity and independence of the Judiciary.
“My attention was drawn to a viral video clip on social media, of the comments made by Senator Bulkachuwa on the floor of the Senate on Monday, June 12, 2023, at the valedictory session of the Senate of the ninth Assembly, before he was interrupted and stopped by the then Senate President Ahmed Lawan.
“Senator Bulkachuwa, in his remarks, amongst other things, referred to ‘confidential dealings’ he had had with some of his colleagues in the Senate, and went on to say: ‘I look at faces in this chamber whom have come to me and sought for my help when my wife was the President of the Court of Appeal, and I’m sure…’
“In his concluding remarks, he said, ‘and I must thank particularly, my wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while she was in office, and she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment, and extended her help to my colleagues…’
According to the NBA President, if the then Senate President had not interrupted Senator Bulkachuwa, he would have made more vital/useful revelations that would have provided specific details of the “confidential dealings of one sort or the other” he allegedly had with some of his colleagues in which according to him, ‘I did my best and in most cases, I succeeded.’
“Notwithstanding however, given the office held by his wife which he clearly mentioned in his remarks, no one would be left in doubt as to the sort of help he either succeeded or did not succeed in securing for his colleagues, with whom he had since become good friends and still remain good friends. These colleagues, according to him, only “thanked me for what I have done with words of mouth, that was all.”
“The statements were clearly admissions by the Senator, that he did attempt to, and/or actually perverted the course of justice/interfered with due administration of justice, which makes him liable to be investigated and prosecuted even on his admission.
“That this came with a huge negative impact on the integrity and the independence of the Judiciary can only be an understatement,” he added
Maiyaku said at the 102nd meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC) held today, 14 June 2023, he took the liberty of his membership of the Council to complain about the rather “disgusting and despicable” conduct of Senator Bulkachuwa, which was a direct attack on the integrity of the Judiciary.
“The NJC condemned the actions of the Senator in the strongest terms as an affront on the integrity and independence of the Judiciary. I made it clear to the Council that, while the NBA will at all times rise to the defence of the honour, integrity and independence of the judiciary, we shall not hesitate to take on anyone, either within or outside the legal
profession, who takes steps or makes statements that are capable of undermining the independence of the judiciary and the impartiality judicial processes.
“It is in this regard that I call on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to immediately invite Senator Ahmad Muhammad Bulkachuwa for interrogation and proceed to prosecute him accordingly.
“I shall write a letter to both the IGP and the ICPC Chairman in this respect.
“We reiterate our commitment to the maintenance and defence of the integrity and independence of the Judiciary in Nigeria, within the bounds of the law, irrespective of the personalities involved,” he concluded