Recalled judges comply with NJC directive, resume sitting

Despite Federal Government criticism over the recall of six suspended judges accused of corruption and its decision to appeal against the discharge of Justice Adeniyi Ademola’s case, the judges on Wednesday resumed duty.

The six judges were recalled from suspension by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on Wednesday and resumed sitting at their various courts with some of them attending to pending court cases that have lingered in the last nine months of their suspension.

The Daily Times recalls that the National Judicial Council (NJC) had last week directed Heads of courts to recall the six out of the eight suspended Judges and directed them to resume sitting yesterday.

At the Supreme Court where two justices were affected by the suspension directive, our correspondent confirmed that one of the justices whose suspension was lifted, Justice Inyang Okoro resumed duties in his chambers. The Supreme Court on Wednesday attended to several cases in chambers.

The Daily Times also confirmed that at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Adeniyi Ademola arrived the courtroom at about 9am on Wednesday morning and was excited to have returned to the court room he sat last in October 2016.

Justice Ademola also told lawyers, litigants and others in the courtroom that he was glad to be back after nine months of absence.

He attended to the seven cases that were listed in the cause list of Court 7, Federal High Court Abuja.
Coincidentally, Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who was tried and discharged alongside Ademola and Mrs Ademola of corruption charges by High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), also appeared before him yesterday.

Agi, who announced appearance for the plaintiffs in Undie Pius and others versus PDP informed the court that the case has been overtaken by event and as such he would like to withdraw the matter.

Consequently, Justice Ademola struck out the case as prayed by the senior advocate. But Joe Agi (SAN) refused to answer questions from journalists when he was confronted for certain clarifications.
Other cases were thereafter taken by Justice Ademola and were adjourned accordingly, after taken submissions from the lawyers in the matter.

Meanwhile, a number of lawyers spoke to about the recall of suspended judges unanimously agreed that the National Judicial Council (NJC) has done the appropriate thing by recalling the suspended judges. They noted that it is the citizens that always bear the brunt when judges are prevented from performing their duties
Kefas Gadzama, one of the lawyers who said he was happy to appear again before Justice Ademola, commended the judge for not allowing his travail to affect his composure.

He added that since Ademola has been discharged of the corruption charges against him, he (Gadzama) was comfortable coming before him.

He advised government to always have their facts right before dragging people to court.

Similarly, Wahab Toye, another lawyer who appeared before Ademola, while noting that allegation is not conviction, advised the Federal Government not to muzzle the judiciary.

Lamenting that it is only in Nigeria that we arrest, detain, go to court before investigating, Wahab appealed to the government to allow the judiciary be, in the interest of justice and the Nigerian citizens.

“They should have allowed the NJC to do their job”, he said, adding “When you prevent someone from doing his job over unwarranted trial, it is Nigeria that suffers. A lot of cases are pending in court and some people are in prison waiting for their trial”.

Meanwhile, a legal activist, Mr. Raph Oluyede, has called on the Federal Government to probe the author of a statement from the presidency which described as ‘unfortunate’ the recall of the suspended judges.
Oluyede told The Daily Times that the content of that letter smacks of vendetta. “It shows some people in the corridor of power have ulterior motives behind,” he said.

Ademola and seven senior judges from the Supreme, Appeal, Federal High Court and National Industrial Court were suspended by the NJC on November 2, 2016, following their arrest and detention by the Department of State Service (DSS) on October, 2016 during a sting operation over allegations of corruption.

The NJC in an attempt to maintain the integrity and sanctity of the Judiciary and sustain public confidence, suspended the affected judicial officers on 2nd November, 2016.

Those who resumed duty are Hon. Justice John Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court; Hon. Justice Uwani Abba Aji of the Court of Appeal; Hon. Justice Hydiazira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt Hon. Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja; Hon. Justice Musa H. Kurya of the Federal High Court; and Hon. Justice Agbadu James Fishim of National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

Justice N. S. Ngwuta of the Supreme Court and Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court have been charged to court and now standing trial over their alleged involvement in corrupt activities.