Some Nigerian Supreme Court Justices Under US Visa Ban, Retiring Justice Abba-Aji reveals
Some justices of Nigeria’s Supreme Court are still facing travel restrictions imposed by the United States over a controversial judgment delivered by the apex court, a retiring Justice, Uwani Musa Abba-Aji, has disclosed.
Abba-Aji reportedly made the disclosure on Friday, November 6, during a valedictory session held in her honour at the Supreme Court in Abuja, saying the restrictions followed a judgment delivered by a seven-member panel of the court which she described as widely misinterpreted.
She did not identify the judgment or disclose when the US imposed the restrictions.
However, her revelation comes amid previous allegations that the US denied visas to justices who delivered the January 2020 judgment that removed Emeka Ihedioha as Imo State governor and declared Hope Uzodimma winner of the 2019 governorship election.
Former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, made the allegation in February 2023, claiming that the seven justices involved in the judgment were denied US visas when they applied to attend a judicial conference in the country.
The panel comprised Abba-Aji, the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, the current CJN, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, as well as Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta, Olukayode Ariwoola, Amiru Sanusi and Amina Adamu Augie.
According to Duke, the justices’ aides who applied alongside them were granted visas, while the judicial officers were denied.
Although Abba-Aji did not expressly identify the Imo judgment as the one that led to the restrictions, she said the consequences of the decision had remained with members of the panel.
Imo-Governor-Hope-Uzodinma
“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 judgments 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,” she said