Alleged Corruption: Kano APC Drags State’s AG Before NBA Disciplinary Committee
The Nigerian Bar Association has been asked to look into corruption allegations made against the judiciary by Haruna Isa Dederi, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Kano State. The Kano chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) forwarded a petition to the NBA’s disciplinary committee, accusing the commissioner of making allegations of corruption against justices of the Appeal Court during a live television appearance.
The petition, issued by Kano APC Chairman Abdullahi Abbas, was directed to NBA President Yakubu Maikyau and the Chairman of the Kano chapter of the association, Sagir Gezawa. The letter was also sent to Dederi. This move comes after a pro-democracy group urged the NBA to take disciplinary action against any of its members found to be in violation
Dederi had expressed his dissatisfaction with the handling of the dismissal of Governor Abba Yusuf by the Appeal Court justices during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily.’ Abbas, in the petition, accused Dederi of making baseless and damaging remarks against the judiciary, implying influences on the judges by Kano State’s party leaders, which he deemed far from the truth.
The petition also mentioned Dederi’s absence of prosecution against individuals who had threatened the judges’ lives, despite the Tribunal’s condemnation of the threat. It pointed out that Dederi’s public speeches against the judiciary were made in his capacity as the Attorney General of Kano State, despite the case before the Court not being related to the Kano State Government. This was viewed as an abuse of his office and a breach of professional code.
The petition emphasized the gravity of the allegations against judges and justices and the potential consequences if they were found to be false. It called for appropriate disciplinary action to be taken by the NBA.
