The National Judicial Council,
NJC, has set up panels to investigate 15 judges of the High Court over their
alleged involvement in various acts of judicial corruption.
Two serving judges are among the
judicial officers under probe.
The Council, led by the Chief
Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has resolved to look into
pending petitions against the judges, at the end of its 83rd Meeting held in
Abuja.
The NJC, in a statement signed by
the Director of Information at the NJC, Mr. Soji Oye and made available to
reporters in Abuja on Monday, pointed out that its decision to set up 15 panels
to probe the judges, was informed by reports of two Preliminary Complaints
Assessment Committees that looked into 46 petitions written against judicial
officers in the Federal and State Judiciaries.
Though the identities of the
judges were not disclosed by the Council, it said it had at the end of its
meeting, dismissed a total number of 31 petitions against different judicial
officers.
It said, “Al-Sagr National
Insurance Company who wrote against Hon. Mr. Justice Tsoho withdrew his
petition since the Hon. Judge had delivered the Ruling in his case.
“Chief Raheem A. Badmus who wrote
against Hon. Justice Akeredolu also voluntarily withdrew his petition for
personal reasons.
“Council treated the two
petitions as withdrawn, since it did not find anything in them sufficiently
serious for further consideration as stipulated in Regulation 9 (1) of the
Judicial Discipline Regulations.”
NJC, however, said it considered
and found worthy of further investigation, the petition written by one Azi A.
Phillip on behalf of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Plateau State
Chapter, whaccusing the immediate past Chief Judge of Plateau State, Justice P.
D. Damulak, of bias, for failure to make his judgment in Suit No. PLD/J/236/16
delivered on 4th November, 2016, available to him till the time he wrote the
petition.
“Council however decided not to constitute an Investigative Committee to look
into the matter, because the Hon. Chief Judge had already retired from service
and therefore no longer in the employment of the National Judicial Council.
“It also considered and dismissed
petitions written against two other Judicial Officers for lack of merit. The
Judges are:- i). Hon. Justice Mr. L. T. C. Eruba – High Court of Justice, Abia
State; and (ii) Hon. Grand Kadi Abdullahi Waiya – Sharia’h Court of Appeal,
Kano State.
“It also decided to issue two
letters of advice to Hon. Justice M. A. Dada of the Lagos State High Court of
Justice and Hon. Justice Chukwudi Charles Okaa of the Anambra State High Court
for violation of extant laws in the course of their judicial duties based on
petition written against their Lordships by Dayo Adamolekun, Esq. & Ridwanulah
Olanite, Esq. and Reverend F. U. Ekavhiare & Associates respectively.
“Council agreed to report Adesina
Ogunlana, Esq., to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (L.P.D.C.)
for misconduct, for the use of uncouth language in a petition written to the
National Judicial Council against Hon. Justice O. O. Atilade, the immediate
past Chief Judge of Lagos State.”
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