NJC Suspends 7 Senior Judges Accused of Corruption.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola
Nigeria’s National Judicial Council has bowed to public
pressure, including that of the Nigerian Bar Association,
asking the seven judges under probe to step aside. The
council made its volte-face decision known in a
statement by Soji Oye, its acting Director Information.
Here is Oye’s full statement:
“The National Judicial Council, under the Chairmanship
of the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice
Mahmud Mohammed, GCON, at its 79th Meeting held on
the 2nd and 3rd day of November 2016, commenced
implementation of specific aspects of the National
Judicial Policy which came into force in April 2016 and
was launched on Monday 24th October, 2016.
During the Meeting, Council set-up a Transparency and
Anti-Corruption Policy Implementation Committee as
follows:
1. Hon Justice E. O. Ayoola, CON (Rtd Justice of the
Supreme Court) – Chairman.
2. Hon Justice Kashim Zannah, Chief Judge of Borno
State – Member.
3. A. B. Mahmoud, SAN, President Nigeria Bar
Association – Member.
Section 6 of the National Judicial Policy aims at putting
in place multifaceted strategies and guidelines that will
ensure transparency and eliminate corruption in the
Judiciary.
It seeks, amongst other measures, to provide a platform
and opportunity to citizens who profess factual and
credible knowledge of information on the nature and
modalities of corruption in the judicial system to
ventilate such.
Council also decided that Judicial Officers shall not be
standing trial for alleged corruption related offences and
be performing judicial functions at the same time.
Council however decided that it will ensure that Judicial
Officers who are being investigated for alleged high
profile criminal offences do not perform judicial
functions until their cases are concluded.”
The seven justices under investigation are from the
Supreme, Appeal and High courts.
They were all arrested early in October for alleged
corruption.
They are John Okoro and Sylvester Nguta of the
Supreme Court and a former Chief Judge of Enugu State,
Innocent Umezulike.
Others are Namdi Dimgba and Adeniyi Ademola of the
Federal High Court, Abuja; Kabiru Auta, from Kano;
Muazu Pindiga of Federal High Court in Gombe."
-NAN