The National Judicial Council (NJC) has established four probe panels to investigate 27 high court judges across Nigeria who are facing various allegations of judicial misconduct. This decision was made following the NJC’s 106th meeting, presided over by the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola.
The NJC also issued a letter of advice to Justice O. M. Olagunju of the Oyo State High Court, urging him to exercise caution in his conduct as a judicial officer, particularly in challenging situations. This comes after Justice Olagunju was accused of using inappropriate language in a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, in which he challenged the Council’s decision and its policy direction on the appointment of the President of the Customary Court of Appeal in Oyo State.
During the meeting, the NJC considered the report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee, which reviewed 22 petitions against the 27 judicial officers from both Federal and State High Courts. Based on the committee’s findings, the NJC decided to set up four committees to further investigate the allegations deemed to have merit.
However, 18 of the petitions were dismissed for lacking merit, being abandoned, or because they were sub judice. The dismissed petitions involved prominent judicial figures, including Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem, President of the Court of Appeal, and several other justices from various courts across the country.
Additionally, the NJC placed five judges on its pre-sanction watchlist due to poor performance. These judges will be monitored, and if they fail to improve, they could face further disciplinary action.
The meeting marked the final NJC session for CJN Justice Ariwoola before his retirement. He expressed gratitude for the cooperation he received from the Council members and the Secretariat, urging them to extend the same support to his successor. In response, the Council members praised the outgoing CJN and wished him good health in his retirement.
