Alleged Malpractice: NJC Suspends Two Judges

The National Judicial Council has suspended two judges, the Acting President of Customary Court of Appeal in Imo State, Justice Francis Abosi and Justice Aliyu Liman of the Bauchi State High Court.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director of Information of the Council, Soji Oye, on Friday

According to the statement, the decision to sack the judges was taken during its 91st meeting held online on April 22, 2020, and it is expected to take effect immediately.

The statement further explained that Justice Francis Chukwuma Abosi, was recommended for compulsory retirement following the falsification of his date of birth from 1950 to 1958, having discovered that he was supposed to have retired in November 2015 when he attained the mandatory retirement age of 65 years.

The council also made a recommendation to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State to deduct the salaries he had earned from November 2015 to date from his retirement benefit.

On the other hand, Justice Aliyu Liman of the Bauchi State High Court was also recommended to the state governor, Bala Mohammed for compulsory retirement, pursuant to the findings by the Council over his failure to deliver judgement in a suit between Abubakar Isa and Sheik Tahir Bauchi within the three-month period stipulated by the 1999 Constitution, having held onto the said judgement for almost four years.

Meanwhile, the council also constituted a 10-man committee to come up with urgent, practical and strategic measures to be put in place in order to ensure that courts continue to function despite the lockdown and the COVID-19 challenges.

The members are Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Justice John Tsoho, Justice Benedict Kanyip, Justice Ishaq Bello, Justice Kashim Zannah, Justice Oyebola Ojo, Paul Usoro, Abubakar Mahmoud, Damian Dodo, and Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour as Chairman.