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June 15, 2023
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, has called for the investigation and prosecution of the federal lawmaker, Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa, representing Bauchi North Senatorial District, over his statements on the Senate floor on Monday.
The NBA President in a statement he personally signed and issued on Wednesday after the National Judicial Council (NJC) 102nd Statutory Meeting, said that Senator Bulkachuwa in his statements on Monday clearly admitted that he perverted and interfered with the due administration of justice in Nigeria, hence, he must be investigated and prosecuted.
Senator Bulkachuwa in his remarks at the 9th Assembly valedictory session, amongst other things, referred to "confidential dealings" he had had with some of his colleagues in the Senate, said, "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…
“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...", before he was interrupted by the former Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, who told him, “I don’t think this is a good idea going towards this direction.”
The NBA President said, “If the 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.”
Maikyau further said, “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.”
Maikyau said that at the NJC 102nd meeting, “I took the liberty of my 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 to 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.”