Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has raised the alarm over alleged moves by the Federal Government to subject 200 more judges to intimidation and harassment under the guise of war on corruption in the judiciary.
The governor said that he got the information from a minister in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government who boasted that after ex-CJN Onnoghen’s ordeal, the focus had shifted from the Supreme Court to the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court.
Wike said that to perfect the plan, the Federal Government has collected the assets declaration forms of 200 judges from the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The governor, who spoke at the central healing service of the Greater Evangelism World Crusade on Sunday in Port Harcourt, disclosed, “I intercepted a discussion by a Minister of the Federal Executive Council where he was telling a gathering that they are happy that they have dealt with the Supreme Court. The Minister said that the next set would be the Court of Appeal Judges and the Federal High Court judges. The Minister said any judge that fails to cooperate will be compelled to resign.
“This APC Federal Government has gone to the Code of Conduct Bureau to get the asset declaration forms of 200 Judges. Any judge that fails to follow their evil plot, will be harassed and prosecuted.”
Wike urged the church to pray so that the judiciary can overcome the onslaught.
“The Church should continually pray for the Federal Judiciary. The Judiciary in Nigeria is under siege. If anything happens to the judiciary, our democracy is in trouble.
“The Church needs to pray for the judges to remain strong in the face of intimidation and harassment. ”
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