The court has dismissed Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa’s lawsuit, in which he sought to prevent the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from investigating him for remarks he made during the farewell session of the 9th National Assembly. Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja rendered this decision.
Senator Bulkachuwa had previously mentioned that he had his wife, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, provide assistance to him and his colleagues during her tenure as President of the Court of Appeal from April 2014 to March 2020. This statement sparked public criticism and demands for an investigation.
Justice Ekwo, who presided over the case, dismissed it on the grounds of lacking legal merit. He emphasized that Senator Bulkachuwa should have been aware of the implications of his statement in the Senate. Furthermore, Justice Ekwo clarified that the legislative immunity claimed by Bulkachuwa in this case does not apply. He added that a cause of action could only be established if a law enforcement agency violated a citizen’s fundamental rights while performing its statutory duties.
