NJC Directs Justice Ademola, 5 Others to Resume

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has directed the embattled federal high court judge, Justice Ademola, and other suspended to resume with immediately effect.
In a press release made available to MetroNews NG and signed by the information director, Soji Oye, Esq, NJC, at its 82nd Meeting which was held on 31st May and 1st June, 2017, considered the case of eight Judicial Officers who were directed to recuse themselves from duties on the request of the Attorney-General of the Federation pending the outcome of investigations against them.
To maintain the integrity and sanctity of the Judiciary and sustain public confidence, the judicial officers were directed to recuse themselves from office with effect from 2nd November, 2016.
After deliberation, the council noted that out of the judicial officers directed to recuse themselves from performing their official duties, only three have been charged to Court. They are Hon. Justice N. S. Ngwuta, CFR, of the Supreme Court of Nigeria; Hon. Justice A. F. A. Ademola of the Federal High Court; and Hon. Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court.
The trial of Hon. Justice A. F. A. Ademola has been concluded and he has been discharged and acquitted of the charges filed against him.
In view of the foregoing, the council decided that the various Heads of Court should direct Hon. Justice John Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Uwani Abba Aji of the Court of Appeal and Hon. Justice Hydiazira A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court to resume their judicial duties with effect from Wednesday 7th June, 2017, as there are already backlog of cases in their various courts for the past eight months.
Others are Hon. Justice A. F. A. Ademola of the Federal High Court who has been discharged and acquitted, Hon. Justice Musa H. Kurya of the Federal High Court and Hon. Justice Agbadu James Fishim of National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
The council, however, warned Hon. Justice M. N. Esowe of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli of the High Court of Justice, Rivers State and Hon. Justice Bassey Frank Etuk of the Akwa-Ibom State High Court for different offences and place two of them on the “Watch List” of the council.
The decision to give Hon. Justice Esowe a serious warning and put her on its “Watch List” for one year, was sequel to a petition written against her by Mr. Jimmy Dirisu Aliu, alleging injustice for failing to deliver ruling in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/394/2013, until eight (8) months after the final address of counsel on Notice of Preliminary objection to his Suit.
Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli was seriously warned and placed on its “Watch-List” for three years following its ‘findings’ that Hon. Justice Enebeli violated the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by granting ex-parte order in Suit No. PHC/983/2016, preventing the swearing-in of Victoria Wodo Nyeche as a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, when the claim in the Suit did not border on qualification or pre-election matter. The judge was said to have granted the ex-parte order on 19th April, 2016, three days to the swearing-in ceremony and adjourned the case to 21st April, 2016 when the ceremony had been concluded.
While, Hon. Justice Bassey Frank Etuk was warned following a petition written against him by Oro Youth Movement for failure to deliver judgment in Suit No. HOR/FHC/97/2014, a Fundamental Human Right case, after hearing it to conclusion and adjourned same for judgment to the 8th June, 2015. The Hon. Judge then proceeded on National assignment as an Election Petition Tribunal member and did not deliver the judgment even after his return in November, 2015, when he transferred the case file to the Chief Judge for it to start de-novo.
The Suit was filed by two officers of the movement to prevent the police from arresting them after they were reported for embezzling the sum of N20, 000.000.00 (Twenty Million Naira) from the account of the movement.
The council then considered and dismissed petitions written against twelve other Judicial Officers because three (3) of the petitioners withdrew their petitions against Hon. Justice T. U. Uzokwe, Chief Judge, Abia State, Hon. Justice Okoroafor of the Abia State High Court and Hon. Justice Judge Okeke of the FCT High Court of Justice.
One petition written against Hon. H. A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court was also dismissed for subjudice.
Other petitions written against Hon. Justices Adamu Abdu-Kafarati and O. E. Abang, both of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justices Mobolaji Ojo, and E. O. Osinuga, both of the Ogun State High Court, Hon. Justice B. A. Oke-Lawal of Lagos State High Court, Hon. Justice A. A. Aderemi of Oyo State, Ntong F. Ntong of Akwa-Ibom State High Court and the second petition written against Hon. Justice Bassey Frank Etuk of Akwa-Ibom State High Court of Justice were found unmeritorious.