Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has vowed to use all powers within his reach to ensure that perpetrators of Monday’s attack on Ekiti State High Court are brought to book.
Fayemi, who revealed that some arrests had been made by security operatives yesterday, also tasked President Goodluck Jonathan, the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and other appropriate bodies to ensure that justice was achieved for victims of the attack on the court.
Addressing journalists at the High Court yesterday, Fayemi said: “I understand some people were arrested yesterday. The maximum weight of the law must be brought against those who were arrested. The role of security and law enforcement agents must be properly investigated. The judge was almost lynched; the police saved him.
“I believe that officers of the law and those of us who are lovers of democracy must speak out against this bizarre action. The Chief Justice of Nigeria must get a full report from the chief judge of this state of what transpired here The president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) must take a stand on the protection of judges to be able to do their work without let or hindrance in the society.
“The Bar in Ekiti State must also play its own role because I understand some lawyers were involved in bringing criminals to court. If that is true, then the disciplinary committee must also investigate comprehensively, the role the officers of the law, who should be workers in the temple of justice, played. Even the president of the country must be seen to be on the side of protection of those who dispense justice.
“When this happened, I was on a tour in Moba Local Government Area. I could not speak with the president because he was out of the country but I spoke with the Chief of Staff and asked him that the Villa must use its power to find out what actually transpired. And I also spoke with the Inspector General of Police on this matter.
“For us as a state, we are embarrassed because in four years, we have done nothing but to respect the independence of our judiciary.”
We have protected the courts; we have ensured that we keep a distance even when judgments are against our government. We have respected the judgments without taking it against the judiciary.
“The history is very clear of how we have responded to the place that the judiciary occupies in our land. Every right thinking lawyer must see what happened yesterday as an assault on his profession and himself and every judge too must be worried.
“ I really think it is a sad day for our democracy and we all must do everything within our powers to rescue this nation. And I hope this is not the path Ekiti is returning to; a path of brigandage, a path of criminality, a path of one week, one trouble in which thugs and criminals takeover the state after we have witnessed four years of uninterrupted peace.”

… PDP, APC in war of words

 Our WOLE BALOGUN, Ado Ekiti The pandemonium that broke out yesterday at the Ekiti State High Court and extended to major parts of Ado Ekiti, has once again pitched the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state as both parties engaged in a war of words. Reacting to the incident, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, who urged Justice Ogunyemi to steer clear of the case, accused the judge of connivance with the APC-led government to pervert justice in the case instituted by the E-11 Group.
The party alleged that Justice Ogunyemi’s handling of the suit confirmed rumours that he was allegedly been influenced.
Accusing the judge of bias, the PDP said: “The judge openly demonstrated in his ruling that he has jurisdiction on the matter and simultaneously commenced hearing of the matter without giving the respondent the opportunity to signify the appeal on it.”
The PDP also condemned “the barbaric action of the APC thugs who attacked voters that voluntarily voted for Ayo Fayose in the last governorship election.”
Also reacting to the incident, the Interim Chairman of the APC in the state, Jide Awe, said: “We are back to the Idi Amin era in Ekiti where judges and lawyers are being attacked in the face of the court. This is terrible. But the APC has no case in the court and we were not there to witness the attack.”

Attack on Ekiti court: Fayemi vows to bring perpetrators to book