The National Judicial Council (NJC) has okayed the probe of seven judges accused of engaging in sundry acts of corruption. This decision was taken by the council, which is statutorily empowered to discipline erring judicial officers in the country, after its two-day meeting held on June 14 and 15th.
It says it has set up panels to probe the judges. In a statement signed by the NJC Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, the meeting was chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice (CJN) Kayode Ariwoola, who doubles as the Chairman of the Council. Even though the NJC did not disclose the names of the judges under probe, it, revealed that they are “judicial Officers from the Court of Appeal and State High Courts”.
The Council said it considered reports from various investigation committees and the Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees on petitions written against 33 Judicial Officers from both the appellate and the high courts and agreed with the recommendation of the Committee that the seven judges have questions to answer.
The NJC however dismissed petitions against 26 others, among whom included a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Mary Peter Odili, for lack of merit, diligent prosecution, withdrawal of the petition, being subjudice, and for the subject judge having retired from service.
