The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba; and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to immediately invite and prosecute Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa over the latter’s “admissions” at the floor of the Senate last Saturday.
During the valedictory session of the ninth Senate last Saturday, Bulkachuwa, who represented Bauchi North district, said that he influenced judicial decisions in favour of some senators while his wife, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa was President of the Court of Appeal.
The senator had said: “My wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while (she) was in office, and she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended her help to my colleagues”.
In a statement after the 102nd meeting of the National Judicial Council on Wednesday, NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau said that Senator Bulkachuwa’s statement made him liable to be investigated and prosecuted even on his own admission.
He said his comments came with a huge negative impact on the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
“My attention was drawn to a viral video clip on social media, of the comments made by Senator Bulkachuwa on the floor of the Senate, at the valedictory session of the Senate of the ninth Assembly, before he was interrupted and stopped by the then Senate President Ahmed Lawan.
“Senator Bulkachuwa, in his remarks, amongst other things, referred to ‘confidential dealings’ he had had with some of his colleagues in the Senate, and went on to say: ‘I look at faces in this chamber whom have come to me and sought for my help when my wife was the President of the Court of Appeal, and I’m sure…’
“In his concluding remarks, he said, ‘and I must thank particularly, my wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while she was in office, and she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment, and extended her help to my colleagues…’”
According to the NBA President, if the Senate President had not interrupted Bulkachuwa, he would have made more vital/useful revelations that would have provided specific details of the “confidential dealings of one sort or the other” he allegedly had with some of his colleagues in which, according to him, ‘I did my best and in most cases, I succeeded.’
“The statements were clearly admissions by the Senator, that he did attempt to, and/or actually perverted the course of justice/interfered with due administration of justice, which makes him liable to be investigated and prosecuted even on his admission”, Maikyau added.
Describing Bulkachuwa’s comments as “disgusting and despicable conduct”, Maikyau went further to state, “It is in this regard that I call on the Inspector General of Police and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, to immediately invite Senator Bulkachuwa for interrogation and proceed to prosecute him accordingly.
“I shall write a letter to both the IGP and the ICPC Chairman in this respect”.
