Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has raised concerns about the impartiality of Justice S.C. Oriji, the judge who restricted hunger protesters in Abuja to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium. Odinkalu claims that Justice Oriji hails from the same village as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
In a post on X, Odinkalu pointed out the potential conflict of interest, suggesting that Justice Oriji should have recused himself from the case due to his village connection with the FCT minister. He stated, “I didn’t really want to be the person saying it, but the FCT High Court judge who gave the order to restrict #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria protesters to the Moshood Abiola Stadium just happened to come from the same village as the Minister of the FCT, the plaintiff. Calculate the odds!”
An investigation into the FCT High Court website revealed that Justice Oriji is indeed from Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State, which is also Wike’s locality. However, the website does not specify the exact village of Justice Oriji.
Wike had sought the court’s intervention to limit the movement of protest organizers to the National Stadium, citing concerns over potential law breaches and chaos. Justice Oriji granted the request, stating that the order was necessary to balance protesters’ rights with public safety and property protection.
The decision has sparked debate about the judge’s impartiality and the potential influence of local connections on judicial decisions.
News Editor