Lawyers Condemn Intimidation, Harassment Of FHC Chief Registrar, Emmanuel Gakko Esq

The Christian Lawyers Forum, CLF, has condemned the harassment
and intimidation of the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court,
Mr. Emmanuel Gakko by a “faceless” group.

The faceless group, under the name, Young Advocate Against
Corruption, had alleged that Gakko is not fit and proper for the
office of the Chief Registrar of the court.

But CLF in a statement, Friday, signed by its National
Coordinator, Ohazuruike Tochukwu, said the only reason for the
formation of the group is to discredit the CR.

The young lawyers in their reaction accused YAAC of planning to
Islamise the judiciary in the country.

”It is obvious that the only reason for the formation of the
group is to remove Mr. Emmanuel Gakko as the Chief Registrar of the
Federal High Court and not for lack of performance or merit but
sheer reason of his religion and his ethnicity.

“Mr. Gakko is targeted because he is not a Muslim unlike the
Chief Registrars of the other Federal Courts in the country.

”There has for some time been a surreptitious agenda to Islamize
the judiciary and this agenda may have been inadvertently made
clearer by the Chief Justice of Nigeria who made statements in the
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, calling for the teaching of Sharia
law in Arabic in all Nigerian Faculties of Law and also the call
for Muslims to demand for increase in the number of justices with
background in Sharia Law appointed to the Court of Appeal.

”The CJN also called for the development of Sharia Law in the
States. This statement of the Hon Chief Justice is evidence that
there is a strategic plan to promote Sharia across the judiciary
and appoint people who will see to its seamless interpretation.

”For the first time in Nigeria’s democratic history, the Head of
the three Arms of the government are all from the same region of
the country and the same religion.

” Also both Chambers of the Parliament and the headship of the
Court of Appeal are also all Muslims. These same forces operating
through this non-existent group are the same forces that resisted
the appointment and confirmation of Justice John Tsoho as the Chief
Justice of the Federal High Court but failed. They shall also fail
this time.

”These forces want to sacrifice merit on the altar of ethnicity
and religion. The Chief Registrar has also done well in the prudent
management of funds and of particular note is the fact that if
there is any issue of corruption against the Chief Registrar, he
would not have been cleared by the security agencies”.