Seven justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria are under a travel ban imposed by the United States government.
This was disclosed by Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji on Friday while speaking at a valedictory court session held in her honour in Abuja upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70, Naija News reports.
She said the travel ban was imposed on a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court after a widely misinterpreted order of the apex court delivered by the panel.
Justice Aji said the ban still remains in place, noting that it is one of the challenges and sacrifices people like her have to pay in the course of their official duties and in preservation of the integrity of justice.
Although she did not identify the judgment that allegedly prompted the US travel ban, she said: “Such inconveniences were a price to pay to preserve the chastity of justice.”
She added that, “My time on the Supreme Court Bench was filled with challenges, some of which have served as additional opportunities to stand firm on the side of justice, regardless of the consequences.
“One of such challenging judgments was widely misinterpreted and led to a travel ban to the United States of America being imposed on all the members of the panel, a ban which still stands till today.”
Aji also recalled receiving a call informing her that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wanted her to respond to a petition filed against her in Lagos while she was attending a programme in Washington, DC, in 2016.
She said the petition led to repeated visits to the EFCC’s office, where she answered questions about corruption allegations she knew nothing about.
Though she was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, Aji said the period was a difficult time for her.
The retiring justice urged younger judges to uphold integrity and let justice be their compass.
She advised serving judges to discharge their duties with humility and courage, remembering that the law was not merely a profession but a trust.
Join the conversation
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.