We are appalled by the shocking news that the Presiding President of Ejemekwuru Customary Court in the Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, Nnaemeka Ugboma. was shot dead.
This signifies how deep we have sunk into the cesspit of insecurity in this country, that even the Temple of Justice is no longer safe!
An eyewitness account describes the gory murder of the magistrate thus: “The gunmen bust into the court, dragged Ugboma out of the court room while the Court was in session and shot him dead at a close range.”
What could a Magistrate have done to warrant this manner of execution?
This impunity must stop! This senseless waste of lives in the South East must come to an end!
This attack on the Judiciary is totally unacceptable, and President Muhammadu Buhari must give the Inspector-General of Police, and all the relevant security agencies, the marching order to fish out the killers.
Are they trying to browbeat the Judiciary? Is the assassination politically motivated and thus to make a statement? The agencies should find out and bring the culprits to book.
We call on the National Judicial Council, NJC, the Nigerian Bar Association NBA, The Police, The Department of State Services to investigate and apprehend the killers as an urgent message that this would not be tolerated at all.
In the recent past, the South East has witnessed an orgy of blood letting as “gunmen” suspected to members of Eastern Security Network, ESN has been exterminating prominent personalities.
On the flip side government should also call to order the ruthless campaign and alleged excessive force being used by Nigerian security forces in Imo, Anambra and Abia states to violence by perceived Eastern Security Network members, as claimed by Osai Ojigho, Country Director at Amnesty International, in a recent report.
Two wrongs do not make a right.
Enough is enough
