The National Judicial Council (NJC) says it has created panels to investigate four judges for misconduct and identified 215 underperforming judges across the country.
The board also placed five judges “on its pre-discipline watch list for poor performance.”
Judges on the watch list “will be recommended to the council for appropriate sanction if they fail to improve their performance,” the council’s Director of Information Soji Oye said in a statement Friday.
The statement did not provide details about the judges accused of misconduct and poor performance or the specific issues raised against them.
However, the statement said the NJC took the decisions, among others, during its 106th meeting held on Wednesday and Thursday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported on Thursday that during the meeting, the NJC also recommended 28 candidates for various judicial appointments.
One of the candidates, a Supreme Court judge, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has been recommended to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to replace Olukayode Ariwoola who retires on August 22.
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Misconduct, poor performance
In reviewing a report from its Performance Evaluation of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts on file, the council “resolved to issue letters ranging from praise, thanks, no-shows and non-compliance to 215 judges across the federation.”
The council, at its meeting chaired by Mr Ariwoola, also reviewed the report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee.
The statement indicated that the council reviewed 22 petitions “written against 27 judicial officers of the federal and state Superior Courts” and decided to form four (4) committees to investigate the allegations in the petitions that were found to have merit.
The remaining 18 petitions were “dismissed for lack of merit, abandoned or subjudice,” the statement said.
Judge receives formal advice on letter written to the CJN
The NJC also wrote to a judge of the Oyo State High Court, OM Olagunju, to inform him of his alleged foul language in a letter it sent to the CJN.
According to Mr Oye, the council advised him to “be cautious as a judicial officer before acting, even in the most difficult situation.”
The statement said the council invited the judge to appear to defend his foul language “in a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, challenging the decision of the Council with regard to its Policy Direction on the Appointment of the President of the Customary Court of Appeal of Oyo State.”
Read the full statement, including the list of 18 judges released from investigation following written petitions against them.
The judges include Court of Appeal President Monica B. Dongban-Mensem and Federal High Court Chief Judge John Tsoho.
NJC creates four (4) committees to investigate judicial officials
• Issues a letter of advice to a judge
The National Judicial Council chaired by the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, at its 106th meeting held on the 14th and 15th of August 2024, resolved to issue a letter of advice to Honourable Justice OM Olagunju of the High Court of Oyo State to be prudent as a judicial officer before acting even in the most difficult situation.
The resolution came after the Council examined the report of the Committee it had set up and mandated it to invite the Honourable Judge to appear before it to defend his improper language in a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, challenging the decision of the Council with regard to its Policy Directive on the Appointment of the Chief Justice of the Customary Court of Appeal of Oyo State.
The Council at the Meeting considered the Report of its Preliminary Complaints Evaluation Committee on 22 writ petitions against 27 judicial officers of the Federal and State High Courts and decided to form four (4) Committees to investigate the allegations in the petitions which were found to have merit.
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The remaining 18 petitions were dismissed for lack of merit, abandoned or sub iudice.
The dismissed petitions are against the Honourable Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem, CFR, President of the Court of Appeal, the Honourable Justices EO Williams Dawodu, BA Georgewill, Yargata Timpar, SD Samchi, Aisha B. Aliyu, AA Aderibigbe ML Shuaibu, HAO Abiru and Abdulazeez Waziri, all of the Court of Appeal.
Others are Honourable Justice JT Tsoho, OFR, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Honourable Justices ZB Abubakar, JK Omotosho, Sunday B. Onu, all of the Federal High Court, and Justice Okon E. Abang when he was serving at the Federal High Court, Honourable Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court, Honourable Justice Babagana Karumi of the Borno State High Court, Honourable Justice Maimuna A. Abubakar of the Niger State High Court, Honourable Justice AA Aderibigbe of the Osun State High Court and Honourable Justice Aisha B. Aliyu of the Nasarawa State High Court.
Written petitions against Justices Ayodele Oyeyemi Oyebisi, Amaobi L. Agara, Amina Garba, Bello M. Tukur, Omeka Elekwa and OA Adetujoye who served on the Asaba and Plateau State and National Assembly Electoral Tribunal panels.
The Council also considered the Report of its Performance Appraisal of Judicial Officers of the High Courts on file and resolved to issue letters ranging from commendation, appreciation, non-appearance and non-performance to 215 judges across the Federation.
It also placed five judges on its pre-sanction watch list for poor performance and would recommend them to the Board for appropriate sanction if they failed to improve their performance.
Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, at the meeting which was his last before his retirement, appreciated the cooperation he received from the Council members and the Council Secretariat and implored them to extend the same to his successor.
The Council members also praised the outgoing CJN and President, one after another, and wished him good health in his retirement.
Soji Oye, Esq.
Chief Information Officer