The National Judicial Council (NJC) has decided to send warning letters to Justices Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, G. B. Brikins-Okolosi of the Delta State High Court, and Amina Shehu of the Yobe State High Court
The trio were found guilty of various degrees of misbehaviour during the council’s 105th plenary meeting, which was chaired by Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on May 15 and 16, 2024.
This was revealed in a statement signed by the NJC’s Director of Information, Soji Oye, dated May 16, 2024.
Ekwo and Brikins-Okolosi were forbidden from advancing to a higher bench for two and three years, respectively.
The statement noted that Ekwo is “warned for abuse of discretionary power by a judge by wrongly granting an ex parte order in suit no. FHC/ABJ/C/626/2023. Juliet Ebere Nwadi Gbaka, 2 Ors., Seplat Energy Plc, and 12 Ors.
“The Hon. Judge is also barred from being elevated to a higher bench for two years.
“Hon. Justice G. B. Brikins-Okolosi of Delta State High Court is also issued a warning for failure to deliver judgement within the stipulated period in Joseph Anene Okafor vs. Skye Bank, suit no. A/94/2010, after parties had filed and adopted their final written addresses.”
Brikins-Okolosi “will also not be elevated to a higher bench for a period of three years,” the statement noted.
The NJC cautioned Shehu “for issuing a Writ of Possession Conferring Title on the Defendant in suit no. YBS/HC/NNR/1cv/2020 when there was no subsisting judgement of any court to enable His Lordship to issue the Writ.”
The NJC also recommended two reports written against judges of the Federal and State High Courts for further investigation.
“The Council at the meeting considered two reports of its two preliminary complaint assessment committees that filtered 35 petitions written against judges of the Federal and State High Courts and decided to empanel eight committees to further investigate the petitions that were found meritorious by the committees,” the statement added.
Furthermore, the NJC denied petitions against other judges “for lack of merit, evidence of misconduct, subjudice, or because they were matters that could be appealed.”
The petitions were dismissed against Justices A. M. Liman, A. A. Okeke, and D. E. Osiagor (Federal High Court), Justices S. B. Belgore, and Bello Kawu (High Court of the Federal Capital Territory), among others.
“The Council deliberated on the notification of the retirements of three judicial officers, including that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, and the notification of the deaths of three judges of the Federal and State Courts,” the statement concluded.
