NJC retires Osun judge over professional misconduct

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the compulsory retirement of a judge in the Osun State High Court Justice S. O. Falola.

The NJC’s Director of Information, Soji Oye, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the council took the decision at its 104th Meeting in Abuja.

He said the judge was found guilty of granting a Garnishee Order Absolute against Polaris Bank for the sum of N283,174,000.00 in a questionable manner.

The spokesman added that a panel set up by the council discovered that Falola in unprofessional conduct visited the bank’s counsel in his Lagos chambers on the Garnishee Proceedings.

The statement read: “The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, at its 104th Meeting of December 6 and 7, 2023 has recommended the compulsory retirement of Hon. Justice S. O. Falola of Osun State High Court from the Bench.

“The recommendation was made sequel to the findings of an investigation committee in a petition written against His Lordship by Mr. Dapo Kolapo Olowo and Polaris Bank for granting a Garnishee Order Absolute against the Bank for the sum of N283, 174,000.00 questionably and strangely, and endorsement of the order, attaching the account of the Garnishee with another Garnishee and not the account of the judgment debtor who had the legal obligation to pay the supposed judgment sum.

“It further found the conduct of the subject judge traveling to Lagos to visit the counsel for the bank in his chambers on the issue of Garnishee Proceedings unbecoming of the standard expected of a judicial officer.”

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