The National Judicial Council has set up a Special Investigation Committee to investigate three High Court judges, who issued conflicting exparte orders on the same subject matter. Already, the affected judicial officers who are of the court of coordinate jurisdiction have been directed to appear before the investigating panel to show why they will not be punished for such misconduct.
Meanwhile, the NJC has also issued a warning letter to Justice Sobere Biambo of the High Court of Rivers State for descending into the arena of a matrimonial conflict in suit marked, OHC/IMC/2018.
Another judge of the Cross Rivers State judiciary, Justice Elias O. Abua, was lucky, as he was only advised to in future be wary of granting an order staying the execution of judgment which appeared executory in nature, as the one he granted in suit No: HC/ MSC/67/2019. The decisions were taken at the end of the 95th meeting of the NJC under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammad Ibrahim.
Also at the meetings held on Wednesday and Thursday, Council further resolved to set up a Medical Board to ascertain the health status of Justice Amina Yaroson of the Kaduna State Customary Court of Appeal.
NJC is statutorily saddled with powers to discipline judicial officers. A statement issued on Friday by NJC Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, explained that the probe panel was constituted in line with the principles of fair hearing. Names of the three judges and areas of jurisdiction were however not disclosed in the statement. Council, however, dismissed the petitions written against Justices Inyang Eden
Ekwo and Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court; Justices O. O. Ogunjobi, S. B. A. Candide-Johnson and S. A. Onigbanjo of High Court of Lagos State; Justices Chiwendu Nwogu, S. C. Amadi and A. U. Kingsley Chuku, for either lacking in merit, subjudice or statute barred.
Other petitions dismissed for the same reasons were those written against Justice I. K. Banu, Chief Judge, of Adamawa; Justice A. L. Lagre, president, Customary Court of Appeal, Adamawa; Justice Felibus B. Andetur, Chief Judge, Taraba State; and Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi of Ondo State, High Court.
The rest are those against Justice Nse Emeka Daniel of Akwa-Ibom State High Court and Justice H. T. D. Gwadah of Kaduna State High Court.
Credit: Daily Sun