NJC warns Oyo judge, probes 27 others

The National Judicial Council has issued a letter of advice to an Oyo State High Court Judge, Justice O. M. Olagunju, urging her to be circumspect as a Judicial Officer before acting, even in the most challenging situation.

Justice Olagunju was said to have used uncouth language in a letter addressed to the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, challenging the council’s decision and its policy direction on the appointment of the President of the Customary Court of Appeal in Oyo State.

The NJC Director of Information, Mr Soji Oye, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, added that the NJC also constituted four probe panels to investigate 27 high court judges over alleged judicial misconduct brought against them.

“The resolution was made after the council considered the report of the committee it set up, and mandated it to invite the Hon. Judge to appear before it to defend his uncouth language in a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, challenging the council’s decision viz-a-viz its Policy Direction on Appointment of President, Customary Court of Appeal, Oyo State,’’ the satament said.

The statement also said, The NJC at its 106th meeting presided over by Ariwoola, “considered the report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee on 22 petitions written against 27 judicial officers of the Federal and State High Courts and decided to empanel four committees to investigate allegations in the petitions that were found meritorious.

“However, 18 petitions were discountenanced for lacking in merit, abandoned or being subjudice.

“The discountenanced petitions are against the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem; Justice Williams Dawodu, Justice Georgewill, Justice Yargata Timpar, Justice S. Samchi, Justice Aisha Aliyu, Justice A. Aderibigbe, Justice M. Shuaibu, Justice H. Abiru and Justice Abdulazeez Waziri — all of the Court of Appeal.

“Others are the Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho; Justice Z. Abubakar, Justice James Omotosho, Justice Sunday Onu all of the Federal High Court; and Justice Okon Abang when he was serving at the Federal High Court, among others. “

The council also “placed five Judges on its pre-sanction Watch List register for poor performance and would be recommended to the council for appropriate sanctions if they do not improve on their performance.

“Justice Ariwoola in the meeting being the last one before his retirement, appreciated the cooperation he received from members of the Council and the Council’s Secretariat and implored them to extend the same to his successor.

“Members of the Council in return eulogised the outgoing CJN and Chairman one after the other, and wished him good health in retirement,” Oye noted.