Some constitutional lawyers under the aegis of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy (LiDD) have called on the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to immediately arrest Governor Hope Uzodinma’s campaign deputy director and zonal vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, and Echezona Etiaba, SAN, over alleged malicious blackmail, criminal defamation and attack launched against the persons of Court of Appeal Justices slated to hear Imo appeals from the National and State Assembly Election cases from Imo State.
Recall that on Monday at the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal venue for the hearing of the State and National Assembly appeal cases from Imo State, Etiaba presented two petitions allegedly written by his clients accusing the three-member panel that has Justice Danjuma Muhammed, Justice Peter Affen from Yola Division and Justice Asmau’u Musa Mainoma, of compromise.
Reacting to the development, the lawyers group, in a statement signed by Barr. Andy Obi, described the action as a huge disrespect and disregard to the judiciary and shouldn’t be ignored by the DSS and Police.
Obi bemoaned the reoccurring denigrating of judges and desecrating the judiciary by individuals who are desperate by all means to have their way.
He said the action will not be condoned by the lawyers, and they won’t rest until the DSS and Police do the needful.
He said, “The Department of State Services (DSS) and Police should immediately arrest the zonal vice chairman of the All Progressive Congress and loyalist of Imo Governor, Hope Uzodimma, Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu and Echezona Etiaba SAN, over malicious attack allegedly launched in collaboration with APC lawyer Echezona Etiaba who in an open court attempted to defame the integrity of the judges selected by the President of the Court of Appeal to hear Imo appeals.
“The attack which was aimed at discrediting the measures put by the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA) Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem who secretly kept the names and posting of Justices secret to help avert pressures from desperate politicians. The information leak showed the desperation of those desperate to tarnish the image and undermine the efforts of the PCA to save the judiciary which desperate politicians want to destroy in pursuit of selfish interests.”
