Group Drags Justice Kekere-Ekun To Code Of Conduct For False Asset Declaration

Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun of the Nigerian Supreme Court has been dragged to the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal by the Oduduwa Descendants Coalition for Justice for allegations bordering on the non-declaration and false declaration in the forms she submitted to the anti-graft body at various times. In the petition dated the 10th of August, 2024 and signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade. Kehinde Johnson Olawale, the group alleged that “as a Judicial officer, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun failed or refused to abide by the provisions of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, which has been in force since 1991. For example, in May 1999, at the end of her tenure as Chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Ikeja Zone ll Lagos, she failed to submit her assets declaration form

Olawale equally stated that “in 2013, at the end of her tenure as a Justice of the Court of Appeal Nigeria, she failed to submit her assets declaration form. The assets declaration form she eventually filled and submitted upon assumption of office as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria contained false declarations and unverified statements”. In the concluding part of the petition, the group advised the anti-graft agency that “the report of your investigation will assist the National Judicial Council and the Senate of the Nigerian National Assembly to come to a balanced decision as to the suitability of Hon. Justice Kekere-Ekun for appointment as Chief Justice of Nigeria.”

The petition which was received by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau on the 12th of August 2024, was sighted by this reporter. The Chairman of the National Judicial Commission, Senate President and Attorney General of the Federation were all copied. When contacted, a staff of the Intelligence, Investigation and Monitoring Department of the anti-graft agency who pleaded anonymity, said that the usual practice is that the Chairman of the Bureau will request the public officer against whom the petition is written to offer an explanation in writing in response to the allegations made out in the petition. If truly there is no infraction of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, the petition will be dismissed. But, if after investigation a prima facie case is established, the matter will be referred to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for prosecution of the accused