The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Hon. the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, GCON, at its 107th Meeting of 13 and 14 November 2024, sanctioned 5 serving Judicial Officers for various acts of misconduct.
Specifically, the Council at its meeting yesterday, suspended Hon. Justice G. C. Aguma of High Court of Rivers State from performing judicial functions for a period of one year without pay and also placed him on “Watch-List” for two years thereafter.
Also, Hon. Justice A. O. Nwabunike of Anambra State High Court, has been suspended from performing judicial functions for one year without pay and placed on “Watch-List” for two years thereafter.
The Council also recommended two Heads of Court for compulsory retirement over falsification of age. The duo of the Chief Judge of Imo State, Hon. Justice T. E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka and the Grand Kadi of Yobe State, Hon. Kadi Babagana Mahdi, were recommended for compulsory retirement for falsification of their ages.
The Council equally considered the Report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee, which considered a total number of 30 petitions, empanelled 6 Committees for further investigation. While 22 were dismissed for lacking in merit, two were sub judice.
The Council also empanelled a Committee to investigate all complaints and petitions against Hon. Justice O. A. Ojo, Chief Judge, Osun State.
The Council’s findings revealed that Hon. Justice G. C. Aguma, committed acts of misconduct by aiding a litigant who obtained a judgment at the FCT High Court, Abuja, and filed a garnishee against judgement debtors in Bori Division of the High Court, Rivers State.
The Council finds that Justice Aguma failed to raise any query as to why the garnishee proceedings were brought to his Court in Bori for a money judgment that could effectively be enforced in Abuja.
That the judgment was delivered on 15 July 2020, at the High Court of the FCT, while the certificate of judgment was registered at Bori Division of the High Court of Rivers State on 16 July 2020.
