The National Judicial Council, NJC, has constituted four
probe panels to investigate 27 high court judges in the country over various
allegations of judicial misconduct brought against them.
The Council also issued letter of advice to Justice O. M. Olagunju of Oyo State High Court to be
circumspect as a judicial officer before acting, even in the most challenging
situation.
Justice Olagunju was said to have used uncouth language in a
letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, challenging the Council’s
decision and its Policy Direction on appointment of the President Court of the
Customary Court of Appeal, Oyo State.
At its 106th meeting presided over by the outgoing Chief
Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, the NJC considered the report of
its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee on 22 petitions written against
27 judicial officers of the Federal and State High Courts.
Based on the report of the preliminary committee, the
Council set up four committees to investigate allegations in the petitions that
were found meritorious.
A statement by the NJC Director of Information, Mr Soji Oye
on Friday in Abuja however said that the remaining 18 petitions were
discountenanced for lacking in merit, abandoned or being subjudice.
The discountenanced petitions are against Justice Monica B.
Dongban-Mensem, President Court of Appeal, and Justices E. O. Williams Dawodu,
B. A. Georgewill, Yargata Timpar, S. D. Samchi, Aisha B. Aliyu, A. A.
Aderibigbe M. L. Shuaibu, H. A. O. Abiru and Abdulazeez Waziri all of the Court
of Appeal.
Others are Justice John Tsoho, Chief Judge, Federal High
Court, and Justices Z. B. Abubakar, James. Kolawole Omotosho, Sunday B. Onu all
of the Federal High Court and Justice Okon E. Abang when he was serving at the
Federal High Court.
The rest are Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court,
Justice Babagana Karumi of the High Court Borno State, Justice Maimuna A.
Abubakar of the High Court of Niger State, Justice A. A. Aderibigbe of Osun
State High Court and Justice Aisha B. Aliyu of Nasarawa State High Court.
Besides, the NJC placed five judges on its pre-sanction
watchlist register for poor performance. They would be recommended to the
Council for appropriate sanction if they do not improve on their performance.
CJN, Justice Ariwoola at the meeting, being the last one
before his retirement, appreciated the cooperation he received from members of
the Council and the Council’s Secretariat and implored them to extend same to
his successor.
Members of the Council in return eulogized the outgoing CJN
and wished him good health in retirement.
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