Gambian President Yahya Jammeh Sacks Nigerian born Chief Justice…National Intelligence Agency Detains him, Alleges Unethical Conduct
*Justice Fagbenle’s Reputation Ruined as High Court Judge and Appeal Court President
* Jammeh Angry with him for supporting Opposition Leader Ousainou Darboe
*Fired: Solicitor General and Attorney General’s Chambers, replaced by Saffie Sankareh
*PLUS Why Fagbenle was Humiliated, Dismissed Unceremoniously in Gambian Judiciary
BY TEMINA TEKANU/JUDICIAL REPORTER, GAMBIA
ONCE glowing legal career of Emmanuel Fagbenle, a Nigerian born attorney who came to The Gambia in the late nineties, chosen among the team of Nigerian lawyers on Technical Assistance to The Gambia where he served in different capacities as Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), High Court Judge and Appeal Court President and later rose to the position of Chief Justice has faded away in opprobrium. President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh fired him and unceremoniously discharged him from The Gambian judiciary.
Sources in Banjul told our correspondent that erstwhile cordial between Gambian President and Justice Fagbenle became ruptured when Jammeh observed that the Nigerian born Chief Justice by his body language resolved to take sides with Ousainou Darboe, an Opposition Leader and had embolden High Court Judge Ottaba who declined ruling on court cases of detained opposition peaceful protesters, citing National Security as reason recently.
Obviously angry Gambian President did not waste time in calling Justice Fagbenle on phone to tell him he has been sacked with immediate effect. He was ordered to hand over all government properties under his care to the Court Registrar for thorough auditing.
Fagbenle was promptly arrested and detained for days without any court processes by National Intelligence Agency Detains him, alleging Unethical Conduct. “The Nigerian born Chief Justice was really humiliated, disgraced out of office. Most commentators on Gambian Television have turned Fagbenle’s sack into a butt of joke on their various programs for being too ambitious. He has forgotten he is not a Gambian but a Nigerian. No matter how long he stays in Gambia, he is still a Nigerian. He came to Gambia as a lawyer, only for Jammeh to promote him President of Appeal Court and Director of Public Prosecution when their going was good. He was an acting Chief Justice for several months before his confirmation by Gambian President on May 12th last year. Justice Fagbenle is totally finished in Gambia, let him return to Nigeria,” revealed one of our reliable sources in Gambian Judiciary.
High Court Judge Ottaba was pranked by Fatou Radio Network, where admitted been embarrassed by the detention of Justice Fagbenle, a high profile lawyer for exercising his right. Jammeh summoned Judge Ottaba for questioning, but he is yet to be fired. The whereabouts of Justice Fagbenle is yet unknown after been grilled, tortured, humiliated, terminated from work and later released by Gambia’s feared spy agency, the National Intelligence Agency.
It is clear that Gambia’s power-drunk dictator Jammeh has embarked on an internal purging of the country’s discredited judiciary. Also dismissed was the Solicitor General and the Attorney General’s Chambers, already replaced by one Saffie Sankareh.
Fagbenle’s sack followed that of the Solicitor General some weeks ago. No reasons have been publicly advanced for the dismissal. Since Jammeh seized power through force in July 1994, former army captain has fired more people in the Justice Ministry than any other Ministry in Gambia.
*Additional Reports by Freedom Newspaper
