NJC Sacks Two Judges, Appoints 70 Others
National Judicial Council has suspended two judges, the Acting President of Customary Court of Appeal in Imo State, Justice Francis Abosi, and Justice Aliyu Liman of Bauchi State High Court with immediate effect.
In a statement signed by the Director of Information of the Council, Mr. Soji Oye, the decision to sack the Judges was taken during its 91st meeting held online on April 22.
Justice Francis Abosi, was recommended for compulsory retirement following the falsification of his date of birth from 1950 to 1958, having discovered that he was supposed to have retired in November 2015 when he attained the mandatory retirement age of 65 years.
The Council also made a recommendation to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state to deduct the salaries he had earned from November 2015 to date from his retirement benefit.
Justice Aliyu Liman of Bauchi State High Court was also recommended to the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed for compulsory retirement pursuant to the findings by the Council over his failure to deliver judgement in a suit between Abubakar Isa and Sheik Tahir Bauchi within the three months period stipulated by the 1999 Constitution having held onto the said judgement for almost four years.
The Council headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Mohammed also constituted a 10-man committee to come up with urgent practical strategic measures to be put in place in order to ensure Courts continue to function despite the lockdown and COVID-19 challenges.
Members are Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Justice John Tsoho, Justice Benedict Kanyip, Justice Ishaq Bello, Justice Kashim Zannah, Justice Oyebola Ojo, Paul Usoro, Abubakar Mahmoud, Damian Dodo, and Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour as Chairman.
The Committee is expected to come up with Guidelines or template for implementation to explore possible areas of collaboration between the Judiciary and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, stakeholders in the Justice Administration and Development Partners in Justice Administration Sector; and any other measures that the Committee may deem fit in realising these objectives and they have 14 days to submit its Report.
Petitions against Justice Othman Musa of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Justices Muhammed Sambo, and Sa’ad Zadawa of the High Court of Justice, Bauchi State were dismissed for lacking in merit.
The Council also decided to report Apeiyi Clement, Ifeanyi Egwasi, Nwafor Orizu, Godwin Chukwukwere, Akopde Ukuku, Emefo Etudo, Osamudiamen Obarogie and B. S. Onuegbu to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for various acts ranging from unruly behaviour like walking out of Court in the cause of proceedings to submission of false documents to Court.
Also, 70 Judicial Officers were recommended for appointment as President, Court of Appeal, Grand Kadis, President, Customary Court of Appeal and Judges of High Court of States and the Federal Capital Territory and Kadis of States Sharia Courts of Appeal.
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