The National Judicial Council, NJC, has placed five Judges on its pre-sanction Watch List register for poor performance.
It said the affected judges would be recommended to the Council for appropriate sanction if they do not improve on their performance.
The Council also “advised” a Judge of the Oyo State High Court, Justice O. M. Olagunju over the “uncouth” language used in a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
The advice was given to the Judge at the 106th meeting of the Council held on August 14 and 15, 2024.
Soji Oye, Director of Information of the NJC, said Justice Olagunju’s letter was on the Council’s decision regarding its Policy Direction on Appointment of President Court of the Customary Court of Appeal, Oyo State.
“The resolution was made after Council considered the report of the Committee it set up, and mandated it to invite the Hon. Judge to appear before it to defend his uncouth language in a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, challenging Council’s decision viz-a-viz its Policy Direction on Appointment of President Court of the Customary Court of Appeal, Oyo State”.
The Council at the meeting also considered the Report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee on 22 petitions written against 27 Judicial Officers of the Federal and State High Courts and decided to empanel four committees to investigate allegations in the petitions that were found meritorious, according to Oye.
The remaining 18 petitions were discountenanced for lacking merit, abandoned, or subjudice, and these included those written against Hon. Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem, President Court of Appeal; and Hon. 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 Hon. Justice J. T. Tsoho, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court; Hon. Justices Z. B. Abubakar, J. K. Omotosho, Sunday B. Onu, all of the Federal High Court; Justice Okon E. Abang, when he was serving at the Federal High Court; Hon. Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court; Hon. Justice Babagana Karumi of the High Court of Borno State; Hon. Justice Maimuna A. Abubakar of the High Court of Niger State; Hon. Justice A. A. Aderibigbe of Osun State High Court; and Hon. Justice Aisha B. Aliyu of the Nasarawa State High Court.
The list also included petitions written against Justices Ayodele Oyeyemi Oyebisi, Amaobi L. Agara, Amina Garba, Bello M. Tukur, Omeka Elekwa and O. A. Adetujoye, who served at Delta and Plateau National and State Assembly Elections Tribunal Panels.
The Council, Oye said, also considered the Report of its Performance Evaluation of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of record and resolved to issue letters ranging from commendation, appreciation, no submission and non-performance to 215 Judges all over the Federation.
At the meeting which is the last before his retirement, Justice Ariwoola, appreciated the cooperation of Members of the Council and its Secretariat, urging them to extend same to his successor.
Members of the Council eulogised the outgoing CJN and wished him good health in retirement.
