By Raphael Ede
The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman National Judicial Council for the death of senior magistrate, Mrs. Ifeoma Nneji, in Enugu prison, calling for investigation into “judicial recklessness” in the state.
The group also called for the sack of the magistrate that remanded the late Mrs. Nneji, Magistrate A.C. Mbah, from the lower bench, saying that his action was not only disgraceful to the Bar and the Bench, but was also lawless and reckless.
The CLO in the petition by south zonal director, Olu Omotayo, said: “Judicial recklessness and lawlessness in magistrates’ court in Enugu killed magistrate Ifeoma Nneji. We demand for justice and appeal for thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the remand in prison of the late Ifeoma Nneji and her husband Mr. Nneji on a trump up charge of attempted murder by an Enugu Magistrates’ Court presided over by A.C. Mbah.”
It added: “The death of the magistrate brought to fore the injustice that has pervaded the administration of criminal justice in the Magistrates’ Court in Enugu state and this has empowered and encouraged the police in Enugu to at will charge anybody for any of the so-called serious offences like attempted murder, attempted rape, attempted robbery and offences relating to child abuse or trafficking in persons, even with no evidence whatsoever to sustain the charge.”