CJN Speaks Out: Judges’ Safety Unthreatened Despite Police Withdrawal From VIPs

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has clarified that the recent presidential directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers assigned to Very Important Personalities (VIPs) nationwide does not extend to judicial officers.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Her media aide, Tobi Soniyi, emphasized that judges remain exempt from the nationwide redeployment, which aims to redirect police personnel to frontline duties in response to rising insecurity.

However, the Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Agya, raised concerns on Tuesday, claiming that police orderlies assigned to judges in the state had been withdrawn without prior notice. He warned that this could compromise the safety of judges handling sensitive criminal, political, terrorism, and corruption cases.

“Firstly, it is a threat to judges’ security and personal safety. Secondly, it undermines judicial independence. Judicial independence is not only the absence of interference but also protection from intimidation,” Agya said. He noted that the withdrawal contradicted an earlier understanding that judges and governors would remain protected under the policy.

In response, Taraba State Commissioner of Police, Betty Isokpan, denied that police officers assigned to judges had been removed. She clarified that only personal escorts and guards accompanying VIPs on non-essential trips were affected by the directive.

“Every court is expected to have a court duty police officer present during proceedings. We have only withdrawn police escorts for VIPs traveling to places like Sokoto, Lagos, and Kaduna, following the Inspector-General’s directive,” Isokpan explained.

Meanwhile, CJN’s spokesperson Soniyi confirmed that no other chief judges had reported similar issues, and the CJN’s office had not received official notification regarding police withdrawals from judges.

The federal government’s policy to redeploy VIP police officers forms part of a larger initiative to strengthen security in high-crime areas nationwide.