The National Judicial Council (NJC) has constituted four probe panels to investigate 27 high court judges in the country over alleged judicial misconduct.

This is contained in a statement issued by the NJC director of information, Soji Oye, on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Oye said that the remaining 18 petitions were discountenanced for lacking in merit, abandoned or being subjudice.

The council at its 106th meeting presided over by the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, considered the report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee on 22 petitions written against 27 judicial officers of the federal and state high courts.

Based on the report of the preliminary committee, the council empanelled four committees to investigate allegations in the petitions that were found meritorious.

Mr Oye said the council also issued a letter of advice to Justice O. M. Olagunju of Oyo State High Court to be circumspect as a judicial officer before acting, even in the most challenging situation.

Mr Olagunju was said to have used uncouth language in a letter addressed to the chief justice of Nigeria, challenging council’s decision and its policy direction on appointment of the President Court of the Customary Court of Appeal, Oyo State.

According to Mr Oye, the discountenanced petitions are against Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem, president Court of Appeal, Justices E. O. Williams Dawodu, B. A. Georgewill, Yargata Timpar, S. D. Samchi, Aisha B. Aliyu, A. A. Aderibigbe M. L. Shuaibu, H. A. O. Abiru and Abdulazeez Waziri all of the Court of Appeal.

Others are Justices John Tsoho, chief judge, Federal High Court, Z. B. Abubakar, James Kolawole Omotosho, Sunday B. Onu, all of the FHC and Justice Okon E. Abang when he was serving at the Federal High Court.

The rest are Justices Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court, Babagana Karumi of the High Court Borno State, Maimuna A. Abubakar of the High Court of Niger State, A. A. Aderibigbe of Osun State High Court and Aisha B. Aliyu of Nasarawa State High Court.

He noted that the NJC placed five Judges on its pre-sanction watch list register for poor performance and would be recommended to the council for appropriate sanction if they do not improve on their performance.

He said that Mr Ariwoola, in the meeting being the last one before his retirement, appreciated the cooperation he received from members of the council and the council’s secretariat and implored them to extend the same to his successor.

Members of the council in return eulogised the outgoing CJN and chairman one after the other and wished him good health in retirement. 

(NAN)