By Queen Kunde
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the international community to impose visa bans on judges accused of undermining democracy in Rivers State.
According to HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, “Rivers State’s constitutional democracy is under direct threat from a judiciary that appears more aligned with political agenda than with the rule of law.”
HURIWA has submitted formal petitions to the embassies of the US, UK, and EU, highlighting judicial rulings that favor influential political figures.
The petitions specifically name judges, including Chief Judge John Tsoho, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, and Justice Peter Lifu, whom HURIWA accuses of delivering verdicts that compromise justice in Rivers State.
The organization is also organizing a high-profile international event in Brisbane, Australia, to raise global awareness and support for judicial independence in Nigeria.
The event aims to bring together legal experts, human rights advocates, and international observers to discuss the implications of judicial partiality on Nigeria’s democracy.
HURIWA’s accusations center on several high-profile judicial decisions that have emerged from Rivers State, including rulings that have had a profound impact on local governance and political stability.
The organization cited a Court of Appeal decision that overturned a Federal High Court judgment, which had initially sought to halt local government elections in Rivers State
To curb judicial bias, HURIWA is pressing for international sanctions, including travel restrictions and visa bans, on the judges in question. Onwubiko emphasized that “we need a judiciary that can be trusted to deliver justice without political interference” ¹.
