The National Judicial Council (NJC) has issued a letter of advice to Justice O. M. Olagunju, an Oyo State High Court Judge, encouraging her to use caution as a judicial official before acting, especially in the most difficult circumstances.
Justice Olagunju was accused of using foul language in a letter to Nigeria’s Chief Justice, disputing the Council’s judgement and policy direction on the nomination of the President of the Customary Court of Appeal in Oyo State.
Soji Oye, the NJC Director of Information, stated in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja that the NJC has also formed four investigative teams to investigate 27 high court judges for alleged judicial misconduct.
At its 106th meeting, presided over by Nigeria’s outgoing Chief Justice, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the NJC heard the Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee’s report on 22 petitions filed against 27 judicial officers of the Federal and State High Courts.
“Council at the meeting 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,” the Council stated.
However, 18 petitions were denied for lack of merit, abandonment, or being subjudice. The discountenanced petitions are filed against the Court of Appeal’s President, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Justice Williams Dawodu, Justice B. Georgewill, Justice Yargata Timpar, Justice S. Samchi, Justice Aisha Aliyu, Justice A. Aderibigbe, Justice M. Shuaibu, Justice H. Abiru, and Justice Abdulazeez Waziri.
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.
The rest are Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court, Justice Babagana Karumi of the High Court of Borno State, Justice Maimuna Abubakar of the High Court of Niger State, Justice A. Aderibigbe of Osun State High Court, and Justice Aisha Aliyu of Nasarawa State High Court.
