Kebbi: Justice Elizabeth Karatu Denied Access To Court To Deliver Judgement- US-Nigeria Law Group

The United States-Nigeria Law Group on Saturday said it is in receipt of a video depicting the prevention of beleaguered Kebbi High Court Judge, Justice Elizabeth Karatu from gaining entrance to the Court to deliver judgment in cases before her.

The group specifically noted that the same Justice Elizabeth Karatu, was recently denied confirmation as Chief Judge of Kebbi State owing to her Christian faith.

A statement by the the leader of the Group, Barrister Emmanuel Ogebe noted that the latest development is the continuation of the rape and destruction of the judiciary under President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Ogebe said that if the terrible precedent created by the Supreme Court on Friday in the Osun case is followed, poor litigants whose cases have dragged on for years will lose their rights simply because the judge was denied the opportunity to read her judgment before her retirement.

Ogebe further said; “The shocking incident comes a day after the Supreme Court in an ignominious decision, invalidated an election tribunal’s verdict, in effect nullifying the entire democratic votes of Osun state gubernatorial elections, on the dubious argument that one of the judges was absent from the trial.

“It is believed that possibly to avert such a travesty and miscarriage of justice, Justice Elizabeth Karatu, who was recently denied confirmation as Chief Judge of Kebbi State, came to deliver all her remaining judgments before her retirement.”

The US-Nigeria Law Group noted that information pieced together from credible sources indicate that in addition to discrimination on the basis of religion, there were efforts by powerful political forces to force Justice Karatu to pervert justice in cases.

The group said that from the video, it can be seen that Justice Elizabeth Karatu was being prevented by a Civil Defense staff from entering the court while her police orderly was seen trying to reason with the Civil Defense agent who stuck to his guns.