Justice Ngwuta’s trial, ethnic cleansing against Ndigbo – Group

A SOUTH-EAST based nongovernmental organisation, the Movement of Voice for Democracy, MVERS, has alleged that the prosecution of Supreme Court judge, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, for alleged corruption was part of ethnic cleansing President Muhammad Buhari-led government launched against Igbo people.

The group in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its promoter, Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, disclosed that Justice Ngwuta was the third in the hierarchy of the Supreme Court justices of Nigeria today and had over eight years to stay, and called on Igbos to come together to fight the perceived injustice against them.

It pointed out that after analysing the federal government preferred against Justice Ngwuta, “we came to the conclusion that it is superfluous. It is not justice and certainly, is not about fighting corruption.

This is targeted at fighting to destroy the people who should be next in line to occupy highest judicial office in this country and we say it without equivocation.

Justice Ngwuta has about eight years to stay in the Supreme Court. He is in his 60’s and is to retire at 70yrs. Igbos should look beyond what is going on now because it is an ethnic cleansing.

Justice Ngwuta is the highest Igboman in the Supreme Court,” the statement averred. It posited that it was dutybound on the prosecuting counsel from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to tell Nigerians what they were charging Justice Ngwuta for, stressing that the allegation that Justice Ngwuta awarded contractor to build $1 million house in Nigeria could not be a charge of corruption. The statement read: “How many Nigerians have built houses worth $1 million? Have they been charged to court for corruption

or is it because Justice Ngwuta is an Igbo and has nobody to speak for him? When has giving contract to a contractor amount to corruption? They have to prove that Justice Ngwuta cannot afford a contract of $1 million. “Speculation cannot be basis for criminal charge. 

First, this man has been charged to court; his accounts have been frozen and he is not being paid salary, how can he defend himself? How can he find money to hire lawyer to defend himself, eat and transport himself to court? The issue is simple: you found N37 million, $57, 000 in his house and the man has denied that he doesn’t have such money in his house.

The Central Bank director of currency must come to court and as one who signed those currencies they will bring as exhibit to tell Nigerians through what means did he release it into circulation and how did the money end up under the custody of DSS who alleges that they found it in Justice Ngwuta’s house; this is not fairy tale.

You said the man has two passports, three passports, yes; he is entitled to diplomatic passport and he had a regular passport before.

If the passport has expired it is of no moment, no law says if your passport expires, return it to Nigeria. “If you said he took bribe, most Supreme Court panels are constituted by seven-man panel. Investigate other Supreme Court justices because Justice Ngwuta cannot collect bribe in isolation. We know justices of Supreme Court that have hotels; have they been charged? “President Buhari himself has interest in Panapina. If we want to face the reality, let us set a standard and let everybody pass through it. Get the banks to bring account statements of Nigerians and let everybody come and justify his or her worth, including President Buhari himself. He should show us where he got the money used to finance his election,” the group charged.