Lawyer cautions NJC on recall of 6 Judges

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June 7, 2017 5:10 PM

The NJC, on June 2 recalled Justices Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court, Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola

Mr Okoli Ezenwa, a legal practitioner has cautioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) on the recall of six Judges.

The NJC, on June 2 recalled Justices Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court, Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court and Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court.

Others are Justices John Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court, Uwani Abba Aji of the Court of Appeal and Hydiazira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court.

The judges were among those arrested after a ‘sting operation’ by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The DSS on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8, 2016, raided of the houses of the judges and allegedly found some hard currencies said to be proceeds of corruption.

Ezenwa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that their recall would amount to moral burden on the judiciary.

He said that in spite of the recall, the judges had cases to answer since the judiciary remained the last hope of the common man.

The legal practitioner said that if there were corruption allegations against any judge, he or she should be tried in the court of law.

He advised the NJC to toe the path of honour and wait until the allegations against them were cleared by the courts.

“So many petitions have been written against these judges and the most honourable thing to is to look at the merit of the petition before recalling them,“he said.

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