The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the attack by hoodlums and their sponsors on the Court in Port Harcourt. Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja. It would be recalled that hoodlums attacked Rivers State High Court Complex in Port Harcourt to prevent Judges, Magistrates, staff, lawyers and litigants from accessing the complex as all the gates were padlocked.
The hoodlums, who were reportedly heavily armed, inflicted bodily harm on the judicial officers and other staff of the Judiciary and destroyed some properties belonging to the court. According to him, these attacks represent the primitive instincts of the hoodlums and the desperation of their promoters.
“But beyond this, an attack on the court, any court for that matter, constitutes a violation of the sanctity of the judiciary and an invitation to anarchy. “In light of the fact that the court is the last hope of the common man, no explanation is good enough for this level of primitive violence. “In our view, our democracy can only make meaning as well as stand the test of time with strong institutions. “Accordingly, we should eschew undermining them as that will only render them prostrate and amenable,‘’ he said.
He, however, said that Judges owe themselves and the system the duty of living above board. He noted that anything to the contrary, will erode the confidence of the citizenry in the courts and make the quest for alternative route to justice attractive, which often times could be savaged. Wabba called on the police to fish out and prosecute the culprits, adding that no matter how highly placed. “We say, no to intimidation of the courts and judicial officers,’’ he said.
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