October 1: Nigerians protest at Federal High Court, demand judicial freedom

Nigerians on Thursday gathered outside the Federal High Court, calling for greater independence of Nigeria’s judiciary and stronger protection of citizens’ rights.

The protesters said they chose Independence Day for the demonstration to highlight the importance of freedom, insisting that the judiciary must be free from executive manipulation.

Addressing protesters at the gathering, one of them, who identified himself as Henry Pwajok Lodam, said the demonstration was not limited to political cases but was also intended to draw attention to Nigerians who, according to him, remain in detention for prolonged periods without trial.

He alleged that some detainees had spent years in custody without their cases being properly concluded.

“The judiciary in Nigeria is broken,” Lodam said, while calling on judicial authorities to strengthen the protection of citizens and ensure due process.

According to him, the judiciary should be able to protect the rights of ordinary Nigerians, regardless of their political affiliation, social status or circumstances.

Lodam also raised concerns about what he described as undue influence of the executive arm of government on the judiciary, arguing that judicial independence was essential to the survival of democracy.

“We want independence of the judiciary, which is very important for democracy. If the judiciary is not allowed to function independently of the executive arm of government, then there is no democracy,” he said.

He described the continued legal proceedings and detention surrounding some individuals as matters that deserve closer scrutiny, while calling for every person who is unlawfully detained to be given access to justice and due process.

Lodam acknowledged that different groups have grievances against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, particularly over issues surrounding his administration.

However, he argued that such disagreements should not prevent anyone from receiving a fair hearing under the law.

“We are not saying that we believe that his government was fair to all. But what we are saying is that we need the justice system of this country to be cleaned up,” he said.

He described what he considered the continued detention of El-Rufai as an example of what the group believes should be subjected to proper judicial scrutiny.

The group subsequently called for El-Rufai’s release, while stressing that its demand should also apply to other Nigerians who may be unlawfully detained.