By Mazi Onyebuchi Eze
For Family Writers Press
Biafrans have unequivocally called on the shamelessly compromised Abuja-based Federal High Court Chief Judge, Justice Binta Nyako, to humbly put in motion, processes of redeeming her bartered professional image as a legal authority, by drawing example from the incorruptible Judge of a Magistrate Court based in Calabar, Cross River State. Justice Binta Nyako has completely mortgaged her once treasured legal profession for crass mundane interests. She has employed measures of trivializing justice against Biafrans, led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in the court of law which is directly under her supervision as the presiding Judge.
Contrary to the high profile corruption index prevalent in this present government of Nigeria under Muhammadu Buhari, the Cross River State Magistrate Court Judge has remained incorruptibly undaunted as a jurist, in discharging his functions despite pressures. He chose instead to uphold legal principles in his judicial disposition. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) worldwide, till date are yet pouring encomiums on him for tacitly exhibiting rare incorruptibility and courage in the present day Nigerian Judiciary. In his judgement, he openly and sternly rebuked the prosecuting legal counsel who claimed to be representing the Nigerian government that stood against the IPOB Cross River State Coordinator – Mazi Frank Ezenta. The Presiding Judge pointedly demanded that the prosecuting counsel should tender before the court, the evidence of crime purportedly brought against the accused for contravening the Nigerian Constitution through his identification of himself as the coordinator of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or have the case instantly struck out. The Judge on Friday 9th of February 2018, defied all odds and struck out the charges brought against Mazi Frank Ezenta for want of evidence and declared him discharged and acquitted.
Justice Binta Nyako would have written her name on gold if she had toed the path of honor if she had told the prosecuting counsel representing the Nigerian government in her court, Labaran Shaibu, to provide evidences indicting Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Mazi Benjamin Mmaduagwu, Mazi David Nwawuisi and Mazi Chidiebere Onwudiwe of the crimes being accused of or get the case completely struck out. This she failed to do as a disciplined Judge but instead, resorted to ridiculing not just only her career but the Nigerian Judiciary. She has brazenly jettisoned all decorum and known principles within the civilized legal profession for the despotic impunity and manipulation of the government against Biafrans. This trial has lasted for close to three (3) years running now without tangible results. She has continued to make caricature of the Nigerian judicial system with her brazen acts of lawlessness and adjourments rather than exerting her authority and uncompromisingly compelling the prosecutor to prove his case(s) beyond reasonable doubts. Justice Binta Nyako has refused according to the dictates of her employer’s script, to grant bail to the accused persons who appeared in court. It therefore beats the imagination of just and reasonable consciences, how this woman enjoys her sleeps whenever she remembers the travails of these three able-bodied young men languishing in Kuje prison for close to three years now, as a result of her gross incompetence, irrationality and wickedness.
Now that this Magistrate Court Judge in Calabar – Cross River State, has clearly exhibited civilized ruggedness in his ruling, the heavens never collapsed. Will Justice Binta Nyako hereby borrow a leaf and start laundering her bartered judicial image? This mission is not difficult. All she needs to do, is come next court sitting, give a redemptive ruling by quashing this tortuous journey of judicial jaundicism and ridicule being unjustly experimented with Biafrans. This will then not only just endear her to the hearts of all justice lovers but crown her with honor in the Nigerian Judicial history like Justice Adeniyi Ademola. The prosecuting counsel, Labaran Shaibu should be made to understand that the Judiciary cannot trade it’s integrity any longer for the immoral service of the whims and caprices of the few at the expense of justice and the rule of law. Evidences of the purported crimes purportedly committed by the accused have to be tendered, otherwise she will have no further business presiding over a vindictive process all in the name of adjudicating a case. The detainees have unjustly been in prison custody for close to three years now and so must be discharged and acquitted. It is gravely against the rule of law and protection of human rights for a judge to remand these Biafrans for this long without trial.
It is based on this premise that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) worldwide, call on Justice Binta Nyako to humbly learn from the Magistrate Court Judge of Calabar, Cross River State, the rudiments of judicial integrity and courage. As a referral interpretation of the Magistrate Court’s Judge in striking out the stated case he said: “Justice Binta Nyako may remand people endlessly in prison there in the Federal High Court Abuja, without proper trial due to lack of evidences from the prosecutor, but I cannot do that in Magistrate Court, here in Calabar. We stand for justice here”. The ball is definitely now in the court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako and she must play it according to acceptable norms if only she wants to extricate herself and her career from the subsisting judicial quagmire she wittingly allowed herself to be lured into, before it becomes too belated.
A word is enough for the wise!
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press
