By John Ogunsemore
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu has cautioned lawyers against writing frivolous petitions against anti-corruption agencies and judges.
Aliyu, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said lawyers ought to view anti-corruption agencies and judges as partners in the fight against corruption.
He stated this when he played host to the Chairman and members of National Litigation Committee (NLT) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
“Writing unnecessary petitions against officers of the commission and judges without concrete justifications is not proper, as we are all colleagues and partners in the fight against corruption,” Aliyu said.
He added that appropriate professional measures should be explored in resolving issues arising between lawyers and anti-corruption officers in the course of investigations and litigations.
According to him, writing unfounded petitions against judges and officers involved in the fight against corruption discourages those working so hard to rid Nigeria of the menace.
“In ICPC, there is no harassment of lawyers. We ensure that the rights of lawyers are protected, so also the rights of our officers in the cause of their duties,” he said.
However, the ICPC boss advised the NBA not to hesitate to draw the commission’s attention whenever there are concerns, noting that the ICPC remains committed to looking into such issues objectively and addressing them accordingly.
He maintained that ICPC encourages mutual professional respect and understanding in line with the law and called on lawyers to extend the same courtesy to the officers whenever they have anything to do with the commission.