Judges Exempt From Police Withdrawal Order, Says CJN

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has clarified that judges are exempted from the presidential directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers attached to important personalities.

Justice Kekere-Ekun said the directive was part of measures to address the country’s worsening security situation, but stressed that judicial officers were expressly exempted from the order.

The clarification was contained in a statement by the CJN’s media aide, Tobi Soniyi, following concerns raised by the Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Agya, that police orderlies attached to judges in the state had been withdrawn.

Justice Agya had warned that the alleged withdrawal posed serious security risks to judges, particularly those handling sensitive criminal, political, terrorism and corruption-related cases.

He also argued that the move threatened judicial independence, noting that adequate security was essential to protect judges from intimidation and ensure orderly court proceedings.

“Judicial independence is not only the absence of interference but also protection from intimidation,” Justice Agya was quoted as saying, adding that unsafe court environments could disrupt justice delivery.

Reacting to the development, Soniyi said the CJN was not aware of any withdrawal of police orderlies attached to judges, describing such action as inconsistent with the directive, since judges were clearly exempted.

He added that no other chief judge across the country had reported a similar incident. “Other chief judges have not said so,” Soniyi said.

Meanwhile, the Taraba State Commissioner of Police, Betty Isokpan, denied that police orderlies assigned to judges had been withdrawn. She explained that the policy affected only personal police escorts attached to VIPs and not officers assigned to court duties or posted to judges’ residences.

“Every court is expected to have a court duty police officer who remains during proceedings. What we withdrew were police escorts who accompany VIPs on personal movements, in line with the Inspector-General of Police’s directives,” she said.