As part of it’s measures taken to sanitize the judiciary, the National Judicial Council (NJC) has barred three judges from elevation for two to three years over misconduct.
The NJC under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, at its plenary of the 105th Meeting held on May 15 and 16, 2024, also issued warning letters to erring judges.
The affected judges are Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Justice GB Brikins-Okolosi of Delta State High Court and Justice Amina Shehu of the Yobe State High Court, who received warning letters.
A statement by the spokesman of NJC, Mr Soji Oye, said Justice Ekwo is warned for abuse of the discretionary power of a Judge by wrongly granting an ex parte order in a suit between Juliet Ebere Nwadi Gbaka & 2 Ors V Seplat Energy Plc & 12 Ors.
Justice Ekwo is also barred from being elevated to a higher Bench for two years.
Also, Justice GB Brikins-Okolosi of Delta State High Court on his part, was issued a warning over failure to deliver ruling within stipulated time in Joseph AneneOkafor Vs Skye Bank, after parties had filed and adopted their final Written Addresses.
Justice Brikins-Okolosi will also not be elevated to a higher Bench for a period of three years.
The NJC also warned Justice Amina Shehu of Yobe State High Court for issuing Writ of Possession Conferring Title on the Defendant in a suit when there was no subsisting judgement of any Court to enable His Lordship issue the Writ.
However, the Council at the meeting considered two Reports of its two Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees that filtered 35 petitions written against Judges of the Federal and State High Courts and decided to empanel eight Committees to further investigate the petitions that were found meritorious by the Committees.
