Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi has described Supreme Court Justice Inyang Okoro’s bribery allegation as childish, baseless, and unrelated.
Amaechi was reacting to a statement credited to Justice Okoro in which he accused the minister of begging him (the judge) to help influence the outcome of the governorship election cases involving Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia states.
“I believe that the issue of corruption at the highest level of our judiciary should be addressed objectively. It is to say the least demeaning and childish of a Justice of the Supreme Court to imply that the security operatives of our nation will arrest a Justice of our Supreme Court for no reason other than the instructions of a minister,” Amaechi said in press release he signed on Wednesday.
Justice Okoro was among the judges arrested by the DSS for alleged corruption.
Amaechi, who wondered whether such a letter emanated from the judge, said he never had such discussion with either the judge or any other judge.
“Given the level of mischief in the social media, I would ordinarily have ignored the letter because the allegations contained in the said letter are wild, baseless and unrelated to the issues in contention between the Justice of the Supreme Court and the Department of State Services. To that extent, I had grave reservation that this letter emanated from his lordship.
“However, for the avoidance of doubt, let me say clearly that I have never discussed any matter pending before the Supreme Court of Nigeria with my lord, Honourable Justice Inyang Okoro, in his house or anywhere else.
“I make bold to also state that the only time I have ever spoken with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, was at the inauguration of the Abuja-Kaduna Railway project on the 26th of July, 2016 at Idu in Abuja.”
According to him, the letter by Justice Okoro was a poor attempt to politicise what he described as a serious national tragedy and shame.
“Those faced with serious allegations should treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves and stop trying to court public sympathy and trivialise what is clearly a national tragedy.”
Amaechi added that he had directed his lawyers “to contact Justice Okoro and take whatever legal steps necessary to clear my (Amaechi) name of this baseless allegation.”