Meanwhile, NBA has called on the EFCC to take a disciplinary action against its agents who invaded Justice Mbaba’s home.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday invaded the home of the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Kano Division, Justice Ita Mbaba.
The property is located on Sheik Yusuf Adam Game street, off Race Cross Road, Nasarawa Government Reservation Area, Kano.
“Armed operatives who claimed to be from EFCC invaded the premises of the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Kano Division in the early hours of this morning. When will this madness stop? We will surely not let this slide. #impunitymustend,” General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Adesina Adegbite tweeted via his Twitter handle.
The invasion comes a few weeks after Justice Mbaba delivered a minority judgement in a favour of 22-year-old musician, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who was sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 after being convicted of blasphemy by an upper Shari’a court presided over by Muhammad Aliyu Kani in the state.
His judgement however dissented with the majority as Justices B. M. Ugo and Abubakar Muaz Lamido upheld the judgement of the Kano State High Court and consequently ordered for the musician’s retrial.
Meanwhile, NBA has called on the EFCC to take a disciplinary action against its agents who invaded Justice Mbaba’s home.
The association’s President, Yakubu Maikyau, in a statement on Wednesday also called on the commission to issue a public apology to the presiding justice of the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal.
Maikyau said the anti-graft agency’s statement “fell short of rendering an apology to His Lordship and the Judiciary for the invasion of His Lordship’s privacy and the resultant embarrassment by the actions of its operatives.”
“Such verification could have been done without armed operatives, at a more appropriate time of the day and through a civil process. We are a Country of laws and regulations, and we must show regard for the Rule of Law and due process.
“I therefore call on the EFCC to not only take appropriate disciplinary actions against the concerned officers, but also issue a public apology to His Lordship, the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Kano Division, and the entire judiciary. The NBA will monitor the observance of these demands.”
EFCC had earlier in a statement admitted in its operatives visited the Judge’s house, adding that the action was for a verification exercise concerning the property.
The Spokesman for the agency, Wilson Uwujaren, said Justice Mbaba had no link to the ownership of the property, therefore, could not have been the subject of its investigations.
The agency said, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to some reports in the Social Media, alleging that its operatives in the Kano Zonal Command, “invaded” the residence of the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Kano Division, Honourable Justice Ita Mbaba, located on Sheik Yusuf Adam Game street, off Race Cross Road, Nassarawa Government Reservation Area, Kano.
“While it is true that operatives of the Commission visited the property housing Hon. Justice Mbaba, on a property verification exercise, owing to a subsisting matter involving the owner of the property, there is no truth, linkage or nexus with any investigation of the Honourable Justice of the Court of Appeal.
“Available facts show that Hon. Justice Mbaba is not the owner of the property and could, therefore, not be the subject of any investigation by the Commission.
“We wish to restate that Hon. Justice Ita Mbaba is not under any investigation by the EFCC. The Commission holds the Judiciary in optimum respect and will do nothing to embarrass any officer of the court.”