National Judicial Council has recommended the compulsory retirement of two judges and dismissed petitions against 18 others.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Information, Soji Oye, the decision followed NJC’s 93rd Meeting which held in Abuja virtually on December 16.
According to him, the affected judges are Hon. Grand Kadi, Shu’aibu A. Talba, the Grand Kadi of Yobe State and Hon. Justice Abdulkareem Babatunde Abdulrasaq of Osun State High Court.
The statement partly reads;
The National Judicial Council at its 93rd Meeting of 16th December 2020 held virtually has recommended the compulsory retirement of Hon. Grand Kadi, Shu’aibu A. Talba, the Grand Kadi of Yobe State and Hon. Justice Abdulkareem Babatunde Abdulrasaq of Osun State High Court with immediate effect.
Similarly, Council considered the Report of the Interview Committee and recommended the appointment of Sixty-nine (69) Judicial Officers as Heads of Court, Judges of High Court of States, Kadis of States/FCT Sharia Courts of Appeal and Judges of the Customary Courts of Appeal.
Oye stated that the council’s findings showed that by their real ages, Grand Kadi Talba ought to have retired in February 2020, and Justice Abdulrasaq ought to have retired in September 2020.
He added the council in the exercise of its constitutional disciplinary powers;
Suspended Hon. Grand Kadi Talba and Hon. Justice Abdul-Kareem Babatunde Abdulrasaq from office pending the approval of the recommendation of their compulsory retirements by their respective governors.
Oye also expressed that the council requested the governors of their respective states deduct from their gratuities, the cumulative salaries they had received from when they ought to have retired till date.
The statement noted that;
Grand Kadi Shu’aibu Talba was recommended for compulsory retirement following an investigation into a petition against him written by one Malam Zakar Adamu, Chairman, Movement for Justice in Nigeria, alleging that His Lordship falsified his age on two occasions, i.e. from February 1, 1955 to August 27, 1955 and later to December 30, 1959.
Findings revealed that he was supposed to have retired on February 1, 2020 by virtue of his declared date of birth of February 1, 1955.
The statement added;
Council, after deliberation, decided to recommend His Lordship’s compulsory retirement to Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.
Furthermore, Council requested the Government of Yobe State to deduct all salaries received by His Lordship from February 1, 2020 till date, from his gratuity, and remit same to the National Judicial Council that pays salaries of all judicial officers in the federation.
Council considered a petition by Chief Yomi Alliyu, SAN, and found merit in his allegation against Hon. Justice Abdul-Kareem Babatunde Abdulrasaq that His Lordship falsified his date of birth from September 3, 1955 to September 3, 1957.
Council, therefore, recommended His Lordship’s compulsory retirement to Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State with effect from September 3, 2020. It also requested the Osun State Government to deduct from His Lordship gratuity, salaries received by him from September 3, 2020, and remit same to the National Judicial Council.
Oye also said the council considered the reports of its preliminary complaints assessment committees and adopted the recommendations to dismiss 18 petitions against 14 judicial officers.
Some of the judges cleared of wrongdoing are Simon Amobeda, Taiwo Taiwo, Nnamdi Dimgba and Dugbo Oghoghorie — all justices of the federal high court.
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