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Clash looms between NJC, Presidency over reinstated judges

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Clash looms between NJC, Presidency over reinstated judges

The Presidency and the National Judicial Council (NJC) may be heading for a clash over the decision of the judicial arm of government to reinstate six suspended judges.

The feeling of the presidency over the NJC’s action was brougth to the open by Special Adviser to President Muhammadu
Buhari on Prosecutions, Okoi Obono-Obla, when he spoke on ‘Sunrise Daily’, a live television programme on Channels TV on
Monday.

The NJC had after fruitlessly waiting for the Presidency to arraign some of the judges, whose homes were raided on October 7 and 8, 2016 over corruption allegations, recalled five of them who were yet to be
charged to court eight months after.

It also reinstated Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who was arraigned but was discharged and acquitted by a Federal High Court, a decision the Federal Government has appealed.

These reinstatements followed demands by the Nigerian Bar Association and other Nigerians that the judges be immediately reinstated since the Federal Government has been unable to arraign them.

However two of the judges, who have been arranged and still being prosecuted, justices Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and Sylvester Ngwuta, were not reinstated.

But speaking on the decision to reinstate them by the NJC, Obono-Obla said the Presidency was disappointed in the NJC.

He accused the NJC of indirectly promoting corruption by reinstating the judges.

He said, “I can assure you that the NJC was aware of the intention of the EFCC to file criminal proceedings against those judges. So, why the hurry? Some of those judges also have several petitions written against them to the knowledge of the NJC so what is the hurry?

“We were in the process of charging them to court and the NJC is aware that the EFCC was in the process of charging these judges to court and as I said earlier, there are also complaints, petitions from members of the public against these judges; so, why have they not looked into some of these petitions?”

He also lamented that the NJC aid giving an impression that is not too pleasant on the issue.

“The impression is that they (NJC) are trying to protect some of these judges. Apart from the criminal allegations against them, there are several petitions against these judges.

“The NJC will just have to suspend them again. The judges should be stopped from sitting from today because they will soon be charged to court; I can assure you.”

Read also : Those who looted Nigeria funds in media war with anti-corruption agencies –Osinbajo

According to Obono-Obla, it was very disappointing that the NJC could reinstate even Justice Ademola, whose case, he said was still under appeal.

“An appeal is not tantamount to a stay of execution but we are talking of a judge’s integrity; the reputation of the judge , the
credibility of the judiciary. This is a judge whose credibility is at stake.

“He was arraigned for allegedly collecting bribes. He was discharged and acquitted and the decision was appealed. If I were that judge, I would not sit until the appeal is heard because members of the public will not have confidence in his court and the judicial system relies on the confidence of the people,” Obono-Obla argued.

The judges who were reinstated by the NJC are Justice John Okoro of the Supreme Court; Justice Uwani Abba Aji of the Court of Appeal; Justice Hydiazira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court; Justice Ademola of the Federal High Court; Justice Musa Kurya of the Federal High Court; and Justice Agbadu Fishim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

 

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0 Comments

  1. Animashaun Ayodeji

    June 6, 2017 at 9:51 am

    There’s nothing the presidency can say on the justices issue that will make sense until the court of law finds them guilty of all th allegations EFCC placed against them.

    • Olanrewaju Eludapo

      June 6, 2017 at 7:11 pm

      Does that gives the NJC the enough reason to reinstate the Accused Judges,no matter how long the case is still pending so why is all this rushing.

      • Oise Oikelomen

        June 6, 2017 at 8:17 pm

        Oga, for those who were recalled there are no cases pending, only unproved allegations. The two who have pending cases were not reinstated. How do you read sef???

      • Lucky James

        June 7, 2017 at 8:11 pm

        I wonder how you mind work, why in the first place, did dss or efcc raided Judges’ houses, claimed to have recovered Billions of Naira. and yet failed to file charges against them nine months after? and you feel NJC suppose keep mute and watch the Judges stay at home for eternity? your reasoning is weird.

    • JOHNSON PETER

      June 7, 2017 at 1:10 pm

      It’s belated already, dss and efcc are political instrument in the hand of the apc

  2. Anita Kingsley

    June 6, 2017 at 10:00 am

    NJC is too funny to be taken seriously, how can it be in support of criminals under trial and still reinstate them ?

    • Abeni Adebisi

      June 6, 2017 at 10:05 am

      The body is very corrupt, in a normal sensible group, anyone who tarnishes any group’s image is supposed to be punished with or without court’s verdict.

      • Oise Oikelomen

        June 6, 2017 at 8:14 pm

        So I can just come and call you a thief, and the next thing, a group you belong to and have served diligently, will just punish you just like that without fair hearing, abi? To prove that they are a “normal sensible group”. If that’s your idea of a corruption free society, then I vote that we should just be managing the corruption then.

    • Oise Oikelomen

      June 6, 2017 at 8:10 pm

      In support of “criminals”????? Wow!!! How did you arrive at branding them criminals? Did you even read the news story well? It says the two judges under trial were not reinstated. The five who have not been charged to court (nine month after the famous/infamous invasion o) and the one who was tried but was discharged and acquitted were reinstated. So abeg tell me what NJC has done wrong now? And please also explain who are the criminals?

  3. seyi jelili

    June 6, 2017 at 12:40 pm

    I have said it already that the NJC lacks credibility as a professional body upholding justice, it was too early to recall the judges.

    • Oise Oikelomen

      June 6, 2017 at 8:02 pm

      So should we set up another body overnight to uphold our justice, or should we allow our justice collapse to the ground for lack of an “upholder”? As flawed as our judiciary is, I think we should still respect it. It is still a valid arm of government, especially in a democracy. To invade the houses of justices in the dead of night, and fail to charge them to court 9 months later does a great disservice to our democratic progress. The judges who still have cases to answer were not recalled. I think that is fair enough.

    • JOHNSON PETER

      June 7, 2017 at 8:31 am

      So you want them to leave the innocent judges idle when they could not proof them of alleged offences. No, not right.

  4. Kris Enahoro Ileaboya

    June 6, 2017 at 5:14 pm

    why do people judge without going through facts….they said the judges stole money but they can’t proof it in court…or arraign the other judges to court b’cos they lack evidence…abeg the NJC did well….how many month since they broke into there home…the so called clueless government could not persecute them..so they should let them go back to work…cos you can’t be persecuting and jailing people on the back of news papers….

    • Balarabe musa

      June 7, 2017 at 5:42 pm

      You are senseless and bias in thinking, so you think these judges are free from corruption or what?

      • Kris Enahoro Ileaboya

        November 22, 2017 at 1:44 pm

        i can see u are so so foolish …..that why people keep on saying that u guys should go back and take care of ur cows and goat.must u insult someone before making ur comment…i pity u….that why u people will never move forward….am not generalizing it anyway cos i have someone from the north that think and do things in the right way…not skull less like BALARABE MUSA or what u call ur self..

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