The NBA had in its statement on Saturday condemned the arrests and demanded an immediate release of the judges. The umbrella body for legal practitioners in the country also warned that there would be consequences if its demands were not met, just as it declared a state of emergency in the legal profession.
Reacting to the NBA statement, Mr Falana said the NBA had not only been negligent in fighting corruption within the judiciary, it had also been complicit and helped to ostracise the few incorruptible lawyers standing up to fight the rot within the judiciary.
Rather than demand the immediate release of the arrested judges, Falana urged the Attornery-General of the Federation (AGF) to ensure that they are immediately arraigned and given a fair trial.
In a statement issued on Sunday obtained by Punch, Falana said:
“In particular, the Nigerian Bar Association which has information on all corrupt judges and lawyers in the country has continued to shield them to the embarrassment of incorruptible members of the bar and the bench.
“The few lawyers who have plucked up the courage to expose corrupt judges and lawyers have been stigmatised and treated like lepers by their colleagues.
“It is on record that when both the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission sent invitation letters to judges suspected of corruption they had rushed to the Federal High Court to obtain interlocutory injunctions to prevent their arrest, investigation and prosecution.”
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