Abba Aji: US Travel Ban on Supreme Court Justices Followed Misinterpretation of Judgment

Abba Aji: US Travel Ban on Supreme Court Justices Followed Misinterpretation of Judgment .Bows out of judiciary after four decades of service Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji, yesterday, disclosed that the travel ban imposed on a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court by the United States of America (USA) was occasioned by a misinterpretation of a judgement delivered by members of the panel. Justice Abba Aji, made the disclosure at a special valedictory court session held in her honour at the Supreme Court in Abuja. Abba Aji who was the first female judge from Yobe State and second female Justice from the North-east geopolitical zone, bows out from the judiciary on today (November 7), upon attaining the mandatory 70 years retirement age. The newly retired justice who stated that the ban is still on till date lamented that the ban was part of inconveniences and a small price to pay by judicial officers to preserve the chastity of justice. Recalling her experience while on the bench, she said, “My time on the Supreme Court bench was filled with challenges, some of which have served as additional opportunities to stand firm on the side of justice, regardless of the consequences. “One of such challenging judgements was widely misinterpreted and led to a travel ban to the United States of America being imposed on all members of the panel, a ban which still holds today.” Although, Justice Abba Aji did not disclose the judgement that attracted the US travel ban on her panel members, she however said, “Such inconveniences were a price to pay to preserve the chastity of justice.” She also recalled the year 2016 while on a programme at Washington DC in the USA, she received a call that her attention was needed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a petition against her in Lagos. She explained that the petition made her a regular visitor at the EFCC office answering questions on allegations of corruption she knew nothing about adding that, at the end of the investigations, she was exonerated from all the allegations. Despite the exoneration, she said that the situation was chaotic and made a very difficult time for her as slanders had filled the air, adding that to worsen the situation, she could not speak in her own defense in public because of the conservative nature of the judiciary. The retiring apex court justice, charged the younger generation of judges to hold fast to integrity and let justice be their compass. Specifically, she counselled serving judges to serve with humility and courage and to always remember that the law is not merely a profession but a trust. Earlier, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who presided over the special court session congratulated Justice Abba Aji for diligent service to the country’s judiciary and for leaving the Supreme Court bench with an unblemished record of service. The CJN said that the career of Justice Abba Aji in the judiciary and the legal profession was so important to the nation and women who have followed her example on the Bench. Also speaking at the occasion, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, commended Justice Abba Aji for her judgement that led to the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), which according to him had, assisted Nigerian government in combating corruption.