In a petition signed by CSNAC Chairman Olanrewaju Suraju and addressed to Anti-Corruption Committee Chairman Itse Sagay, CSNAC pressed the Committee to investigate the introduction of Chief Michael Igbinedion to Justice Auta at a book launch in honor of the justice as well as a donation of N8m made by Chief Igbinedion, who was standing trial at the Federal High Court before the donation.
The Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) has urged the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption to investigate and sanction Justice Ibrahim Auta, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, for allegedly contravening the code of conduct for judicial officers.
In a petition signed by CSNAC Chairman Olanrewaju Suraju and addressed to Anti-Corruption Committee Chairman Itse Sagay, CSNAC pressed the Committee to investigate the introduction of Chief Michael Igbinedion to Justice Auta at a book launch in honor of the justice as well as a donation of N8m made by Chief Igbinedion, who was standing trial at the Federal High Court before the donation.
The petition read: "In its publication of 18th February, 2016, Premium Times, an online newspaper, reported that The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has accused Mr. Rickey Tarfa, a senior Nigerian lawyer, of having a long history of manipulating courts and improperly communicating with judges. Mr. Tarfa in defense instituted a Fundamental Rights Enforcement Action against the Commission. In the course of the proceedings, several startling revelations were made by the Commission.
"The report stated that in furtherance of his unhealthy relationships and communication with judicial officers, Mr. Tarfa sometime in April 2015, attended a book launch in honor of Ibrahim Auta, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, in the company of Gabriel Igbinedion, who was the chief launcher. At the event, Mr. Tarfa introduced Mr. Igbinedion to judges and senior lawyers who attended the program."
According to the report, the investigating officer stated, “I know for a fact that the Applicant’s client, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, made the donation of N8m at the referred occasion to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in spite of knowledge by Chief Gabriel Igbinedion that his son Michael Igbinedion, who had been convicted, was awaiting the sentence of the Federal High Court in criminal proceedings.”
He noted that shortly after the book launch and donation of the said N8million, Gabriel Igbinedion’s son Michael was sentenced to 1 year imprisonment or a paltry fine of N1million in a questionable plea bargaining that sparked outrage among Nigerians.
The petition read, "CSNAC is therefore, by this petition, calling for a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the introduction of Chief Igbinedion to Justice Auta, as well his donation of N8million at the book launch. The presence of several lawyers at the book launch should also be thoroughly investigated, as this could create conflict in the exercise of his duties as a judicial officer, since the crop of senior lawyers who were in attendance are likely to come before his court."