Judges exempted from police withdrawal order – CJN

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has clarified that the presidential directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Personalities (VIP) as part of measures to combat rising insecurity in the country does not affect judges.

The media aide to the CJN, Tobi Soniyi, made this known on Saturday.

The Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Agya, had on Tuesday raised an alarm that police orderlies attached to judges in the state had been withdrawn, warning that the development poses a significant security risk.

He explained that judges and governors had earlier been exempted from the directive, recognising their legal entitlement to police protection.

He added that despite this exemption, police orderlies assigned to judicial officers across Taraba were withdrawn on December 8 without prior notice.

“Firstly, it is a threat to judges’ security and personal safety, as judges handling sensitive criminal, political, terrorism and corruption cases are exposed to high risk,” Justice Agya said.

He was also quoted to have said withdrawing security protection for judges would undermine judicial independence.

“Judicial independence is not only the absence of interference but also protection from intimidation. Without orderlies, courtrooms can become unsafe, and proceedings may be disrupted,” Agya explained.

Reacting to Agya’s complaint, Soniyi said he was not aware that the police orderlies attached to judges had been withdrawn, wondering why such action would be taken since judges were exempted from the directive.

He added that other judges had yet to complain that their orderlies had been withdrawn.

Meanwhile, the Taraba State Commissioner of Police, Betty Isokpan, responding to Justice Agya, said the court orderlies had not been withdrawn.

According to PUNCH, she explained that the policy affected only personal police escorts and guards, not officers assigned to court duties or posted to judges’ residences.