Aba (Abia) – The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) – Aba Branch- has given a 14- day ultimatum to the Abia State government to reinstate the Chief Judge, Justice Nnenna Oti, or incur NBA’s wrath.

Governor Theodore Orji
of Abia State

The branch Chairman of NBA, Mr. Chidozie Ogunji, announced the ultimatum at news conference at the Aba Bar Centre on Tuesday.

Ogunji said the Chief Judge’s decision to release, John Barah and Mohammed Bukar, who had been incarcerated for over eight years was in agreement with the police and the prisons reports.

He said that her removal based on carrying out her constitutional role was unacceptable.

“We are giving the Abia State government a 14-day ultimatum to reverse that decision.

“Failure of which we shall appeal to all civil society groups, to International Federation of Women Lawyers and all people of goodwill to join us in ensuring that this travesty of justice does not stand.

“This is the first time we are having a female chief judge in Abia State. We see this move as a chauvinistic male agenda to disgrace the chief judge in the discharge of her functions.

“While we are doing all these, we will also seek the relief of the court to see that this arm of government is not trampled upon.

“By the time this arm of government referred to as the last hope of the common man is subjected to ridicule, we will have automatically lost it all,” Ogunji said.

The chairman said the NBA at its emergency meeting condemned in its totality the removal of the chief judge.

He pointed out that the House of Assembly’s decision to remove her based on reported absence at an ad hoc committee’s meeting to investigate allegations against her was illegal.

“The reason advanced was that the chief judge refused to appear before the Abia State House of Assembly Ad Hoc Committee.

“It was set up to investigate allegations against her by persons who wrote a petition against her for carrying out wrong judgment.

“Any person or groups of persons who feel sad or uncomfortable with her decision have only one recourse to appeal to the Court of Appeal or petition to the National Judicial Council.”

The NBA members marched through the streets to protest the removal of the chief judge.