The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has clarified that judges are exempted from the presidential directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Personalities.
The clarification was given by the CJN’s media aide, Tobi Soniyi, following concerns raised over the safety of judicial officers after reports that police orderlies had been withdrawn from judges in some states.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier directed the police to withdraw officers attached to VIPs as part of measures aimed at addressing rising insecurity and redeploying personnel to critical areas.
However, Soniyi said the directive does not apply to judges, stressing that members of the judiciary are entitled to police protection due to the sensitive nature of their duties.
“I am not aware that police orderlies attached to judges have been withdrawn,” Soniyi said. “Judges are exempted from the directive, so I wonder why such an action would be taken.”
He added that other chief judges across the country had not complained about the withdrawal of their security aides.
The clarification followed comments by the Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Agya, who on Tuesday raised the alarm that police orderlies attached to judges in the state had been withdrawn.
Justice Agya warned that the development posed a serious security risk to judges, especially those handling sensitive cases involving terrorism, politics, corruption and other high-profile criminal matters.
“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,” he said.
He also expressed concern that the move could 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 added.
Reacting to the complaint, the Taraba State Commissioner of Police, Betty Isokpan, denied that police orderlies attached to judges had been withdrawn in the state.
She explained that the directive only affected personal police escorts assigned to VIPs and not officers posted to courts or judges’ residences.
“Every court is expected to have a court duty police officer who stays during proceedings,” Isokpan said. “We have only withdrawn police escorts who accompany VIPs to places like Sokoto, Lagos and Kaduna, in compliance with the Inspector General’s directives.”
The police commissioner maintained that judges in Taraba State remain adequately protected, assuring that court security arrangements were still in place.
