The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has alleged that
Federal Government’s has ordered onslaught against judges in Nigeria
in form of a request from the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit
(NFIU) that all banks release details of bank accounts of all justices
of the Supreme Court.
Its spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, in a statement on Sunday, alleged that
this was simultaneous with another request from one of the security
agency to all mobile telecommunication companies to furnish them with
the phone log of the justices other listed Nigerians from 1st August,
2018 till 10th September, 2019.
It said this followed the tribunal ruling which gave President
Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) victory over
the Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The statement said: “We note that while the government tried to hide
behind one finger by adding members of the National Assembly to the
list of those whose bank accounts are under surveillance, it did not
succeed in hiding its intention because it was clear that there was no
mention of any member of the executive arm of government in the NFIU
letter.
“Or are there no corrupt persons in the Executive arm of government?
We would not have been so surprised by this latest government action
since the same government had earlier ordered a midnight raid on
houses of some judges and also removed a sitting Chief Justice of
Nigeria in a most controversial manner.
“The same government sent security agents to lay siege on the National
Assembly with a view to forcing a leadership change.
“Our concern, however, is that these directives to invade the privacy
of the justices clearly guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution is coming
at a time the coalition presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar,
is approaching the Supreme Court to contest the judgment of the
Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
“Basking in the euphoria of the success of their arm-twisting plot at
the Court of Appeal, they are at it again now in the Supreme Court. We
make bold to say that this latest onslaught is part of coordinated
plans to blackmail the justices of the Supreme Court, intimidate them
and instil fear in them. But this move will backfire. It will fail.
“We call on all justices of the Supreme Court to stand firm, endure
the onslaught of the emperor and his ruthless agents and use the word
of their mouth on judgment day to bring his reign of terror and stolen
mandate to an end and liberate Nigeria from this current nightmare.
“We therefore call on all lovers of democracy across the world to pay
more attention to happenings in Nigeria as the nation’s democracy is
being threatened daily by government’s actions.”
