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27 judges to face NJC panels for alleged misconduct
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has set up four probe panels to investigate 27 high court judges in the country over alleged misconduct.
The NJC Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
He said the council at its 106th meeting presided over by the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, considered the report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee on 22 petitions written against 27 judges of the federal and state High Courts.
The spokesman added that the remaining 18 petitions were discountenanced for lacking in merit, abandoned, or being subjudice.
He said: “Based on the report of the preliminary committee, the council empaneled four committees to investigate allegations in the petitions that were found meritorious.
“The council also issued a 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.
READ ALSO: NJC moves to weed judiciary of corruption, sets up panels to probe 15 judges
“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 the appointment of the President Court of the Customary Court of Appeal, Oyo State.
“The discountenanced petitions are against Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem, President Court of Appeal, 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 Justices John Tsoho, Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Z. B. Abubakar, James Kolawole Omotosho, Sunday B. Onu, all of the FHC, and Justice Okon E. Abang when he was serving at the Federal High Court.
The rest are Justices Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court, Babagana Karumi of the High Court of Borno State, Maimuna A. Abubakar of the High Court of Niger State, A. A. Aderibigbe of Osun State High Court and Aisha B. Aliyu of Nasarawa State High Court.
“The NJC placed five judges on its pre-sanction Watch List register for poor performance and will be recommended to the council for appropriate sanction if they do not improve their performance.”
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