Tanko’s resignation as CJN not enough, EFCC should arrest him –HURIWA 

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Monday, said the resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad as the Chief Justice of Nigeria was not enough to clear him of corruption allegations levelled against him by the 14 justices of the Supreme Court.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, demanded the immediate arrest, investigation and if culpable then prosecute the retired CJN Tanko by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission.

Recall that the 14 Supreme Court justices recently petitioned Tanko and alleged that he diverted their welfare funds.

“In the past, justices were nominated to attend two to three foreign workshops or training per annum with accompanying persons for reasons of age. Since your Lordship’s assumption of office, Justices only attend two workshops in Dubai and Zanzibar. They were not accorded the privilege of travelling with accompanying persons as was the practice.

“Your Lordship totally ignored this demand and yet travelled with your spouse, children, and personal staff. We demand to know what has become our training funds, have they been diverted, or it’s a plain denial,” the justices had asked.

Though Tanko denied the allegations, HURIWA earlier asked the National Judicial Council and the Code of Conduct Tribunal to probe him over the weighty allegations by the Supreme Court justices.

On Monday, news filtered in that Tanko has resigned as the CJN as confirmed by his Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Yusuf Isah.

“The latest information is that the CJN has resigned; I spoke with somebody very close to him and he said he has resigned,” Isah said.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), immediately sworn in Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko applauded the swift action of the President to have sworn in Ariwoola as the acting CJN.

He, however, said, “The resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad as the Chief Justice of Nigeria is not enough; the EFCC and the ICPC must swing into action, investigate then if a cause if Acton is ascertained, then arrest and prosecute him over the corruption allegations levelled against him by the 14 justices of the Supreme Court if a prima facie evidence exists .

“Jistice Tanko must be prosecuted just as his predecessor, Walter Onnoghen, who was probed and later removed on a controversial note following some allegations against him which was probed by both the NJC and the CCT.

“The investigation and probable prosecution of Tanko if indicted,  will set a precedent that Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade is not a joke unless it is a joke. Tanko’s prosecution if found culpable of those sets of allegations will also serve as deterrent for any proven corrupt justices that the judiciary won’t be a haven for scoundrels.”

June 27, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

Alleged Arrest Of APC Candidate By EFCC In Lagos: HURIWA Cautions APC

“The alleged arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of Mr. Lanre Sanusi, who is contesting for Amuwo Odin Federal Constitutiency House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) over fraud–related crime after a logistics company, called 4runner limited made a petition against him should be of interest to the ruling All Progressives Congress so someone with a baggage ethically and morally is not presented as a candidate for a very critical position of a National law maker”. 

This is even as the Prominent Civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) through its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko has asked the national hierarchy to probe the report that a company known as  4runner Limited, which is a shipping company, alleged that they had a deal with Mr. Lanre to transport COVID-19 materials, including face masks; hand sanitizers, amongst other items for a sum 33,000 United States Dollars  even as information made available alleged that after the shipment arrived Nigeria from the United States of America, Sanusi Lanre allegely refused to pay the company by not picking their calls and not responding to their text messages.

HURIWA affirmed that if it is verified that the  shipping company also stated in their petition to the EFCC that it later found out the covid-19 relief materials were illegally diverted from Dallas City Government Hospital with the aid of Sanusi Lanre’s accomplice who were truck drivers at the hospital and that 4runner Limited lamented to the anti-graft agency that Lanre’s alleged fraudulent activity has affected the company’s reputation and cost it huge monetary damage, then the All Progressives Congress should substitute his name with the legally allowed person with the next highest number of votes at the party primary election. 

HURIWA said it is preposterous if the APC will sponsor someone with such a huge crime related allegations hanging on his neck to seek for elective post to become a National law maker just as the Rights group said may be the APC is not aware that millions of Nigerians are fed up with political corruption such as this. 

HURIWA said it appears that the National leadership of APC did not investigate why the Lagos Assembly rejected his Lanre Sanusi’s alleged nomination for commissionership in 2019. This is because we think that the character and reputation of candidates should be of concern to a ruling party like APC that wears the toga of integrity and credibility. Why did the party looked the other way when Prince Lanre Sanusi appeared before the party’s screening committee?

HURIWA said: “The candidature of this man allegedly in conflict with the law shows that certain forces working within the  APC’s National headquarters may be fraudulent and compromised. How would you defend this before the politically conscious Nigerians? Clearly the Party’s screening exercise was cosmetic and pure deceit. How would electorates trust your party?”

“The height of the fundamental issues bedevilling the said Lanre Sanusi’s political aspiration is the recent report in some sections of online media and various media organisations. This is presently destroying the party and will definitely affect the chances of your party at all levels. Going into election with a damaged image candidate would cost your party the victory expected, assuming the allegations are verified”. 

“As Civil Rights practitioners, we  in HURIWA monitored the party’s screening from the federal,state and NASS to come to a conclusion that your party is a fraudulent and criminally minded unless and until the National hierarchy can take steps to ensure that persons with questionable characters or persons in conflict with the law are not presented and sustained as candidates in the 2023 poll in Nigeria until they get clean bills of records”, HURIWA affirmed.