NJC queries Zamfara judge, Bello Shinkafi, over alleged misconduct, issuance of conflicting order
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The National Judicial Council, NJC, has issued a query to Justice Mohammed Bello Shinkafi of Zamfara State High Court over alleged misconduct.
Bina Consult & Integrated Services Ltd. had on August 11, 2021 written a petition to the NJC, accusing Mr Shinkafi of issuing an injunction, despite a subsisting ex-parte order on the matter.
Bina Consult, owners of Stonehedge Hotels Abuja, had approached an FCT High Court over unlawful termination of a contractual agreement between itself and the Zamfara State Government.
The company therefore secured the court’s injunction against the Zamfara government to stop interfering with the plaintiff’s property, Stonehedge Hotel Abuja, pending the determination of the case.
But the defendants, in violation of the said court order, forcefully evicted the plaintiff out of the said property and destroyed its valuables.
It was gathered that when the court order was enforced against the defendants, the plaintiff regained lawful entry and possession of the property.
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Unfazed by the development, on July 26, 2021, the Zamfara government filed a motion before a state high court in Gusau, presided over by Mr Shinkafi, and secured another ex-parte order against the the company, despite drawing the judge’s attention to a valid order obtained by the plaintiff.
The petition, dated August 11, 2021 and signed by Aminu Aunam on behalf of the Bina Consult, accused the judge of granting the expert order even as he was fully aware that the subject matter of the litigation is not located in Gusau or any part of Zamfara State, but in Abuja.
The petitioners also alleged that Mr Shinkafi had a track record of “flagrant abuse of his judicial powers, by granting frivolous ex-parte orders/judgements on matters already handled by courts of coordinate jurisdiction”.
The petitioners insisted that the order was issued out of the jurisdiction and hurriedly executed at midnight by police officers from Zamfara State Government House, “where they intimidated our guests, staff and inflicted unbearable pain and embarrassment”.
