A new twist in the running battle between the House of Assembly and the judiciary in Benue State came to the fore yesterday when truckloads of sand were packed into the entrance of the Chief Judge’s office.

Although some official of the ministry of works said renovation was about to begin, there was the presence of stern-looking policemen guarding everywhere and not allowing anybody into the offices.

A wave of condemnation yesterday trailed the removal of Justice Maurice Ikpambese, by the House of Assembly.

The Senate said the action was taken “without recourse to the tenets of the law.”

The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) described it as unacceptable.

The Benue caucus of the National Assembly demanded immediate reversal of the resolution.

But the Benue Assembly insisted that it acted within the law and that the CJ stands removed.

Yesterday, the main entrance to the Benue High Court complex in Makurdi was blocked with a trip of sharp sand.

It was learnt that the Ministry of Works and Housing was about to carry out renovations.

Our reporter saw stern-looking security personnel at the gate, which was under lock and key.

The Senate urged its Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights to investigate and report back in two weeks.

The resolution followed the Senate’s adoption of a motion by Senator Abba Moro and co-sponsored by Senators Emmanuel Udende and Titus Zam.

Moro said if the looming constitutional crisis in Benue is not nipped in the bud, it “may spiral to become a great threat to the democracy.”

He added: “The said crisis stems from the purported removal of Justice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge of Benue State, by the State House of Assembly without having recourse to the tenets of the law.”

According to him, sections 153 and 271 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) vest the National Judicial Council (NJC) with exclusive powers to appoint and remove chief judges.

“Anything outside the provisions of the Constitution is a direct affront to the Constitution and a danger to our democracy.

“The Benue State House of Assembly with either ignorance of what the law says or with intention to make a caricature of the Constitution went ahead to sit and pass a resolution just by themselves purporting to have removed the Chief Judge, a resolution that brings a great insult to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and if not reversed may lead to abuse of the powerful document that provides for the entire country,” Moro said.

The Caucus of National Assembly members from Benue demanded “the immediate and unconditional reversal of the unconstitutional resolution to remove the CJ.”

It further demanded “the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the decision of the faction of the Benue State House of Assembly to suspend some members.”

But, the House of Assembly insisted that Justice Ikpambese was validly removed.

Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, told reporters that the House exercised its powers under Section 292(1)(a)(ii) of the 1999 Constitution.

According to him, under the section, a Chief Judge, Grand Kadi or President of a Customary Court of Appeal of a state can be removed by the governor acting on an address supported by a two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly praying that the person be so removed for his inability to discharge the functions of his office or appointment (whether arising from infirmity of mind or of body) or for misconduct or contravention of the Code of Conduct.”

Tiseer added: “The House did not recommend the removal of CJ as a judicial officer but as the CJ of Benue as provided by the law.

“The House did not originate any petition against the CJ, therefore, it has no business with the NJC because the law only empowers them to act on the address of the governor, which they did.”

On the suspension of 13 members who dissociated themselves from the resolution, he said: “They were sanctioned for deceiving Benue people and Nigerians as a majority of them voted for his removal during the plenary session.”

JUSUN condemned Justice Ikpambeae’s removal.

Its National President, Marwan Adamu, said in a statement: “It is on record that the Chief Judge of Benue state is not a member of JUSUN and cannot incite an action he is not part of.

“This action by the Benue State House of Assembly is a direct attack on judicial independence and an affront to the rule of law.

“The judiciary is an essential pillar of democracy, and any attempt to intimidate, coerce, or remove judicial officers for performing their duties is unacceptable.

“The allegation that the Chief Judge is inciting a strike appears to be a deliberate ploy to silence the judiciary and undermine its role in upholding justice.

“Instead of addressing the root causes of the strike, the government has chosen to scapegoat the Chief Judge, which is a dangerous precedent for judicial officers across the country.”