- Suspends them from office for one year
- Retires two others for age falsification
- Petition that landed Rivers judge in trouble
- Council recommends 36 judges for appointment
The National Judicial Council (NJC) yesterday wielded its big stick on the Chief Judge of Imo State, Justice T. E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka and the Grand Kadi of Yobe State, Kadi Babagana Mahdi for age falsification.
They were recommended for compulsory retirement.
The stick also came heavily on Justice G.C. Aguma of the Rivers State High Court and Justice A. O. Nwabunike of the Anambra State High Court who were sent on suspension for one year each without pay for judicial misconduct.
In addition, they were placed on ‘watch list for two years after the suspension.
The council also empanelled a committee to investigate all complaints and petitions against the Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice O. A. Ojo.
These decisions were the highlights of the 107th meeting of the NJC which took place in Abuja between Wednesday and Thursday.
Spokesperson for the council, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe said in a statement yesterday that the decisions stemmed from the report of NJC’s Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee, which considered a total number of 30 petitions.
It empanelled six committees for further investigation.
The NJC dismissed 22 petitions filed against judges for lacking in merit and found that two were sub judice.
Babalola-Ogedengbe, in the statement, said the council’s findings revealed that Justice Aguma “committed acts of misconduct by aiding a litigant, who obtained a judgment at the FCT High Court, Abuja, and filed a garnishee against judgement debtors in Bori division of the High Court, Rivers State.
“The council finds that Justice Aguma failed to raise any query as to why the garnishee proceedings were brought to his court in Bori for a money judgment that could effectively be enforced in Abuja.
“That the judgment was delivered on 15 July 2020, at the High Court of the FCT, while the certificate of judgment was registered at Bori division of the High Court of Rivers State on 16 July 2020.
“The council further finds that the speed with which the Hon. Justice Aguma took and granted the order absolute against the judgment debtors showed that he had an interest, especially as he failed to take into consideration the stay of execution of the judgment granted in favour of the judgement debtors by the Bwari High Court, which had been brought to his attention.”
In the case of Justice Nwabunike the council found him to have breached the provision of Rule 3.1 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2016.
“He also failed to adhere to the principle of stare decisis from his different interpretation of the word “aspirant” and abused his judicial powers by granting ex parte orders without a motion on notice filed along with the originating summons,” Babalola-Ogedengbe said.
The Nation
