Nigerian Pilot learnt that the meetings afforded the EFCC the opportunity to brief the CJN on the progress it had made in the investigation of the judges while Justice Muktar allegedly counseled the anti-graft agency on steps it should take to avoid a flawed trial.
The EFCC, it was gathered had almost concluded its investigations and interrogation of the judges in connection with allegations of corrupt practices and other official misconducts.
A top judicial officer told Nigerian Pilot that the secret meetings between Justice Muktar and Lamorde were held to work out modalities on how the office of the CJN can assist the EFCC ensure the smooth trial of the judges whenever they are arraigned in court. It was further gathered that the interim report on the probe of the judges would soon be ready.
The judicial officer said yesterday that the “CJN is poised to see that the Nigerian judiciary is cleansed of corruption. You know that before EFCC started investigating these judicial officers, its chairman (Ibrahim Lamorde) visited the CJN in her office. The meeting took place before letters of invitation were sent to the affected judges.”
He explained that the CJN was being briefed regularly by the EFCC on the outcome of the investigation and “she is ready to ensure that there is no any cover-up. Honestly, the affected Judges are in deep shit, the CJN is talking tough; she is insisting that if the affected judicial officers are found wanting they should be prosecuted, period.”
An EFCC operative confirmed to our correspondent that the interim report on the investigation of the judges would be ready soon.
Also, the operatives of the commission will this week continue the interrogation of a prominent judicial official for allegedly demanding N10million bribe from a retired officer of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS.
“The commission had commenced the interrogation of some judges of the Federal High Court, Abuja. No fewer than 10 of the judges were being quizzed while more will be invited by the EFCC,” the source said.
The 10 judges have been under interrogation in the last three weeks by operatives of the Investigations and Special Operations Division of the EFCC.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, had confirmed the investigation of alleged corruption in the judiciary at a press briefing in Abuja three weeks ago.
Uwujaren, however, declined to disclose the identities of the judicial officers and the number of judges who had been grilled by the commission.
He said it would be premature to release the identities of the affected judicial officers.
Source: Nigerian Pilot
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