A Social Commentator, Okey Anueyiagu has reacted to comments made by the former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu where he lampooned the Supreme Court for exonerating Joseph Nwobike SAN of corruption charges in a decision reached yesterday.

It would be recalled that sequel to the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Joseph Nwobike v. Federal Republic of Nigeria delivered yesterday, 20th December, 2021, and published by ASKLEGALPALACE, Odinkalu, a popular anti-corruption crusader in a twitter post berated the Supreme Court for reaching a decision he believes will perpetuate corruption within the Bar and Bench.

In his tweet, via his twitter handle (@ChidiOdinkalu), he said

“By this decision, the Supreme Court writes a #MagnaCarta for open corruption of judges, especially by SANs, with the assurance that they will enjoy judicial impunity from the highest court in the land. This is beyond disgraceful; it is irresponsible.”

However, in a statement made available to TheNigeriaLawyer, Okey Anueyiagu who is also the CEO of Brown Brommel Enterprise, has expressed reservations with the comments made by Odinkalu. According to him, the case against Joseph Nwobike was instituted from the onset in bad faith, to disgrace, coerce and embarrass the distinguished legal practitioner. He further suggested that the prosecution of the now exonerated Learned Silk was malicious and orchestrated to bring him to disrepute, saying the lawyer lost everything valuable he had including his wife to his witch-hunt by the EFCC.

He said; “Of interest to me, is that I have heard from people I know that are reliable and credible sources, who think that the case is simply that of unnecessary persecution of the lawyer because he dared take up a case in defense of a fellow that had incurred the wrath of government— the case of EFCC vs the former NIMASA boss who was a Jonathan appointee and lackey. They swore that the lawyer would be destroyed; and he was annihilated.

They arrested Nwobike and began to investigate him beginning from when he was in kindergarten. And like the great Chinua Achebe once told me; no matter how a man cleans his nyash, there must be a speck of shit in the crevices. They found that speck, or so they claimed. They tried and convicted him on the excuses of a a flimsy shit.

In the process of this ordeal, the lawyer lost his SAN title, lost his wife whom he couldn’t attend to in sickness from incarceration. He lost everything; his manhood, his career, his reputation, because he refused to disengage legal services for an enemy of government.”

He further extolled Joseph Nwobike SAN as a lawyer with an admirable track record and verifiable rise to prominence.

He further lamented that Odinkalu’s reaction to the Supreme Court decision was hurried and his language unbecoming of a lawyer.

My sources confirmed to me that this lawyer was a fine hardworking gentleman, a diligent advocate who came to Lagos on a night bus, struggled to earn a Ph.D in Law and without a godfather, became a brilliant upright lawyer.

I will avoid delving deep into this case as I am not a lawyer and maybe less qualified to do so, but as a conscientious citizen, I owe us a duty to try, as I may, to discuss even as a layman, the bit my limited knowledge allows me.

I have read the Supreme Court judgement and I am surprised that Odinkalu, whom I must confess that I do not know much about, accused th SC decision as being “ beyond disgraceful, atrocious, irresponsible… and that it is a cover for SANs and lawyers to perpetrate corruption without legal consequences “

Odinkalu’s language is not refined; in fact he was inelegant in his choice of words. He spoke like someone who is not a trained lawyer; someone playing to the gallery. He could have just disagreed with the principles of the case , and in so doing provide us with specific reasons in Law for doing so.

In reading the judgment, it is obvious that the judges found reason to believe that the EFCC started this case, like in many other cases, with the intention to arrest, detain, investigate,charge prosecute and jail the lawyer.

This is not allowed in our constitution, and not in our law books. There are clear separations of powers, duties, etc. The power to prosecute is vested with the State and not the EFCC— just like in the USA where the FBI can investigate and arrest, but the responsibility to indict and prosecute cases are that of the State Prosecutors/AGs.

He concluded by stating the need to collectively fight corruption as nation, albeit, not at the expense of individual rights protected by the constitution.

“Corruption is BAD in any form and must be condemned and fought.

Corruption is everywhere and has become endemic and part of shameful lives. But to fight corruption with corrupt and illegal practices is worst and more dangerous than corruption itself.

They have ruined this man’s life. They have taken everything from him; his career, his wife, his being.

Now, how can he, and where from can his life be redeemed?

The imperious, dictatorial and haughty manners by which we sanctimoniously search for our perfect society must recognize the RIGHTS of individuals to live.

We( and I mean all of us) must learn to respect human beings and consider ourselves USELESS if we cannot do so knowing that this consideration could give a value to all others by establishing the Right of man to live a free and a fair life.”