Nigeria Judicial Council Probes 2 Chief Judges and 13 Others

Nigeria Judicial Council Probes 2 Chief Judges and 13 Others

Nigeria’s apex regulatory for the judiciary, the National Judicial Council (NJC) on Monday announced that it had begun investigating 15 judges across the nation after receiving petitions against them.

According to the judicial council, the petitions were submitted by aggrieved litigants.

NJC spokesman, Mr Soji Oye in a statement on Monday disclosed that 2 chief judges – principal judicial officers in their respective states – were among the 15 judges being investigated.

Oye who was silent on the identities of the affected judges however noted that the NJC had constituted 15 committees to investigate various allegations in the petitions against the judges.

The NJC constituted the committees at its 83rd meeting held in Abuja last week, acording to Oye.

“During the meeting the NJC considered the reports of the two Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees (PCAC) set up to examine 46 petitions written against judges of both federal and state courts,” he said.

The NJC spokesman equally revealed that the Council had also agreed to recommend a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr Adesina Ogunlana, to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for misconduct, for allegedly using “uncouth” language in a petition he wrote against the immediate past Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon Justice O. O. Atilade.

Oye said the NJC also treated as withdrawn, the petitions against Ondo State’s Acting Chief Judge, Justice O. O. Akeredolu and Justice J. T. Tsoho of the Federal High Court.

It will be recalled that the NJC has in the recent past sanctioned judges for various offences and recommended the removal of some judges for gross misconduct.

The NJC was however caught in the eye of the storm when it cleared some judges earlier suspended over corruption allegations and directed the judicial officers to resume to their courts following the presumed failure of anti-graft agencies to diligently prosecute the judges.

One of the judges, Justice Adeniyi Ademola’s home was raided by the Department of State Security (DSS) agents and subsequently arraigned with his wife, Olubowale for allegedly receiving bribes. His case was however thrown out by a high court in Abuja after his no case submission was upheld.

Another affected judge, Justice James Fishim of the National Industrial Court (NIC) was promptly re-arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and is presently facing trial before a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.

According to The Nation, the NJC spokesman in his statement on Sunday said the Council had also issued two letters of advice to Justice M. A. Dada of the Lagos State High Court and Justice Chukwudi Charles Okaa of the Anambra State High Court for violation of extant laws in the course of their judicial duties.

It is yet unclear why the identities of the last 2 judges were revealed while others were withheld but all eyes will be on the NJC led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon Justice Walter Onnoghen who many see as making efforts to prove that the judiciary is in tune with the efforts of the executive arm of government in fighting corruption.