This is not the best of time for the nation’s judiciary. Notwithstanding sundry allegations of bribery and corruption dogging it, the temple of justice may have another round of bitter pill to swallow if its seeming porous security challenge is not tackled head on.
The events of the last few weeks have shown that the court is no longer safe for lawyers and litigants in view of a criminal invasion, which rocked the Owerri High Court, Imo State on January 27.
Otherwise, how will a gang of armed men storm the Owerri High Court, killing seven of the litigants, injuring scores of others and taking their leader away in a place surrounded by the Army, Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and the heavily secured Government House?
This, indeed, is failure of a system. It was reported that suspected armed men stormed the court’s premises in a commando style and took away a suspected kidnap kingpin, Henry Chibueze, also known as Vampire, as proceedings were about to commence.
The operation led to the death of no fewer than seven persons, while scores were severely injured just as judges, lawyers and litigants scampered for safety, prisons officials and security operatives on guard vamoosed following the stampede caused by Vampire and his members.
It is surprising that this dastardly act occurred at a place one considered secured. The court that Vampire and his members held hostage is just behind the Imo State Government House, with its retinue of security details.
Also, there is an Army Command not too far from the court premises and the DSS office and Imo State Police Command are located within the perimeter wall of the Owerri High Court.
This is an assault on the courts, which must be condemned in clear terms by every right thinking person. There is obviously a cause for worry, especially when courts are becoming an attraction for criminals and the judiciary echelon had refused to come out in clear terms on this brigandage, nearly three weeks after.
It is unacceptable for armed men to launch such uninterrupted attack within the court premises and shameful, especially where all security agencies were present. We think it is a dangerous precedent for Vampire and his gang to escape with ease, regardless of whatever weapons are in their possession while security agents looked elsewhere.
It is bad for the system and the justice administration. We call for a thorough investigation into the escape of Vampire. We are of the firm belief that adequate security should be provided not only in the courtrooms, but also within and outside the court premises.
Also, there is the need for security agents to spread out their dragnets to arrest the suspected criminal and his collaborators as their arrest will go a long way to prove that there is no escape route for criminals in Nigeria.
Government should also compensate the victims of the attack. Besides paying the hospital bills of those that sustained injuries, the families of those who lost their lives should be adequately compensated by government. Another cause for worry is a situation whereby lawyers have turned the court of justice into a boxing ring as occurred in a Kano High Court a fortnight ago.
The lawyers allegedly engaged each other in fisticuffs right in front of the magistrate while proceedings were ongoing. This is an utter disregard for the rule of law as the two lawyers, who have spent over three decades in the practice of law, exchanged blows while their clients also joined in the fray. This manner of assault on the court and disrespect for the ethics of the profession as demonstrated by the two lawyers is a rarity.
It is condemnable, shameful and barbaric as lawyers, by their training, are to be a repository of knowledge, discipline, self-respect, reciprocal respect and respect for rules and regulations guiding every aspect of the professional ethics.
This must not be allowed to continue. The Nigerian Bar Association must summon the two lawyers, subject their actions to probe while they must be severely punished if found culpable for bringing the noble profession into disrepute.
Their misconduct was inimical to the integrity of the legal profession and must not be tolerated. We condemn in strong terms the unruly and unprofessional action of the two lawyers.
They must be severely dealt with if the ongoing assault on the courts must be stopped. Above all, watertight security should be provided in our courts at all time, not just when sensitive cases come up for hearing. The courts and their courtrooms must be secured against invaders. And those who desecrate the temple of justice must pay dearly for their action.
