Fall of Justice Idris M. J. Evuti: Pondering Outbreak of Nemesis Long Overdue!

By Amusa Tajudeen Lasisi

“The highest reach of injustice is to be deemed just when you are not” – Plato

Penultimate week, several print and electronic media outlets in Nigeria went agog and saturated the waves with news that the National Judicial Council (NJC) –A legal organization regulating practice of Law & Justice in Nigeria –sanctioned two high court judges in Nigeria over professional misconducts consequent upon recommendation with immediate effect of their compulsory retirement from active legal service. This news actually at that instant didn’t get my attention or anyway matter to me until a friendthrough a puzzling phone-calltold me categorically that the Judge overseeing Court 4 of Niger State’s High Court under Niger State Judiciary was one of the affected Judges and goes by name – Justice Idris M. J. Evuti! – Instantly, in an electrifying manner, it dawned on me that this very time the hunted has just caught the hunter!

The Nation Newspapers of Wednesday, April 20, 2016 in Page 5 recently under a caption “NJC recommends retirement of two judges” reports thus on Justice Idris M. J. Evuti “A fact finding committee set up by the council found from the records that Justice Evuti used three different dates of birth over the years as September 15, 1950, April 10, 1953 and April 1, 1953 and therefore recommended his compulsory retirement with immediate effect”.

To set the records straight, it is only in a Third World and developing country like Nigeria and indeed Niger State in particular that a Court’s Judge like Justice Idris M. J. Evuti brazenly ill-reputed & shamelessly notorious for falsification of date of birth will sit confidently in a government-funded court-facility and hit the mallet in a conscienceless manner up-and-down in the name of litigation and adjudication. Overtime, Justice Idris M. J. Evuti became a name allegedly synonymous with passage ‘only’ of frivolous injunctions, baseless rulings and controversial Judgements. His alleged erstwhile romance and parley as a Justice and high court Judge with the immediate past administration of Niger State leaves one to wonder if he was even directly under the payroll of the governor at that time and not the Nation’s Legal Watchdog – National Judicial Council (NJC).

“There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supercedes all other courts” – Mahatma Gandhi

While I laud passionately, the decision of the National Judicial Council (NJC) in enforcing compulsory retirement on Justice Idris M. J. Evuti, I think in my candid opinion, the job done is not yet complete;the Council (NJC) should constitute a new panel/committee to review holistically without any reservations; all Judgements, rulings and injunctions granted by Justice Idris M. J. Evuti during his entire tenure as a Court Judge& Justice in whatsoever division and capacity he must have served for the sole reason that a supposed legal-umpire notorious and criminally-inclined on falsification of date of birthfor whatsoever self-serving reason possible on a logical note might not contemplate bribes, inducements& rip-offs.

Consequently, a searchlight be beamed on his asset declaration form(s)(CCB Form 1) at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to ensure that what is being declared by Justice Idris M. J. Evuti is truly and sincerely that which is being possessed. Nigeria’s leading anti-graft agencies – The Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)also are to come-in and do that which they are constituted-for and know how to do best – Investigate thoroughly Justice Idris M. J. Evuti's; bank statements, cash transfers, drafts, instruments, withdrawals, purchases, credit/debit card records, lodgments, telephone records, e-mails etc!

“At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst” – Aristotle

However, the National Judicial Council (NJC) in penance and reparationfrom reports ofTheNation Newspapers of Wednesday, April 20, 2016 in Page 5 acts thus “Apart from the recommendation for compulsory retirement of Justice Idris M. J. Evuti, council recommended to the government of Niger State to deduct salaries received by him from September, 2015 till date from his gratuity and remit same to the National Judicial Council that pays salaries of judicial officers”.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) stipulated the right sanctions in line with the appropriate constitutional provisions except that I felt that they were a bit easy on Justice Idris M. J. Evuti. For a High Court Judge like Justice Idris M. J. Evuti, I really don’t think that serving prison term in a(ny) of Nigeria’s overstuffed prison-cells should be a source of worry or concerntohim for reason that he too during his tenure of service as a sitting-judge prior to his disgraceful disposalhad sometime in the near past sentenced and remanded quite a handful of offenders to prisons for a supposed offence that could have been of lesser or like gravity to his; as such the National Judicial Council (NJC) should have arraigned him in court, tried him like any other suspect and have judgement passed on him by which they will have truly exemplified that ‘what is good for the goose, is also good for the gander’ and that the law has no room for any sacred cow such nobody is ever above the law – Judge or No-Judge!

“If you have done terrible things, you must endure terrible things; for thus the sacred light of injustice shines bright.” – Sophocles

The National Judicial Council (NJC) – considering lessons from the Justice Idris M. J. Evuti scenario; wherein inexhibitionof administrativefoul-play,manipulated his date of birthresultant now on an8-Monthsdeferment of his supposed date of retirement from active legal service(September 2015 – April 2016)– should co-ordinate with the National Assembly to have the concerned sections & sub-section of the laws amended such that offence(s) of undue manipulation of date(s) of birth and deferment of date(s) of retirement by high-ranking public office holders (e.g. Justice Idris M. J. Evuti) and civil servants in the civil servicewould be punishable by law through complete and absolute forfeiture of retirement benefits and entitlements with prison terms attached alongside little or no option of fine. This at least shall cater for and deter gracefully in future, likes of Justice Idris M. J. Evuti’s.

“If everyone howled at every injustice, every act of barbarism, every act of unkindness, then we would be taking the first step towards a real humanity.” – Nelson DeMille

Prior to outbreak of this overdue Nemesis on the controversial and contentious character in consideration – Justice Idris M. J. Evuti – an earlier bitter encounter with his personality on a professional platform presented him really as an individual heading for the abyss and one doomed to fail and fall soon. Justice Idris M. J. Evuti upon originated summon in November 2013 on a case involving myself, Nigerian Guardian Newspapers and a fraudster called Baba Muhammad Dzukogi in January, 2015 in Court 4 of High Court in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria arrogantly, raped justice, violated free-speech & expression and desecrated truth-telling & fair-hearing when he gave an unconstitutional, abominable and undemocratic Judgment in favour of the plaintiff – Baba Muhammad Dzukogi – to the tune of about Twenty Million Naira (N 20, 000, 000.00).

It was a travesty of justice orchestrated by a close-knitted gang; involving the cap-wearing bearded suspect on EFCC watch-list– Baba Muhammad Dzukogi; a well-known Barrister alongside the so-called ‘Professor’ with dubious and woeful political antecedence in the immediatepast administration and now Justice Idris M. J. Evuti himself –the lead-gangster. This gang is already unravelling in shame as nemesis is gradually picking on its members one after the other. First the cap-wearing bearded suspect was successfully disgraced and convicted in a court of law, thereafter humiliated by a crushing defeat at the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Election. Now it is Justice Idris M. J. Evuti that nemesis has shamed. We are watching as I am sure there is more humiliation in stare for these helpless gangsters that thinks they can get away with a badly-orchestrated kangaroo Judgement!

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” – Martin Luther King. Jr.

Let me close this exposition with sincere gratitude first and foremost to the graceful petitioner – Mr. Mohammed Idris Eggun who in face of possible intimidation, coercion, threats &lobbying dared and stood ground for the truth and nothing other the truth, posterity will always hold you in highest of honour and your place will never be taken. Secondly, my utmost appreciation also goes to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) for living up to expectations and bringing repute to the institution known for defending the defenceless – Judiciary – and lastly, the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB)andtheAll Progressives Congress (APC) for creating a political atmosphere with zero tolerance for corruption and favourable to Truth-telling, Law & Justice!

May the good, gracious and ever Almighty God bless you abundantly!

“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” – Haile Salassie

Amusa Tajudeen Lasisi is of the Federal University of Technology, Minnaand can be reached via Facebook on Ana Nigeria Plc and Email on Amusa.tajudeen1@gmail.com

May God help us in Nigeria.



An average Citizen have this innate tendency of wanting to cheat.

If our judges are like this what then do you think of the citizens.

God bless Nigeria and Nigerians.

Another sponsored article from Buhari just to make Nigeria hate the judiciary

wowmenow:
Another sponsored article from Buhari just to make Nigeria hate the judiciary

What an unfortunate comment