Judicial council clears Appeal Court justices over allegations
From Emmanuel Onwubiko, Abuja
THE National Judicial Council (NJC) on Wednesday night cleared the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Umaru Farouk Abdullahi and nine Appeal Court Justices of allegations of indiscretion in the judgment delivered on May 4, 2004, which confirmed Chief Ben Obi as winner of the April 12, 2003 Senatorial polls in Anambra State.
The petition to the NJC was at the instance of Senator Ikechukwu Abana, whose election was nullified by both the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division.
The nine justices are Isa Ayo Salami, Saka Adeyemi, Ibiyeye Victor Omage, Amiru Sanusi, Datijo Muhammad, Mahmoud Mohammed, John Afolabi Fabiyi, Clara Ogunbiyi and Dongban Mensem.
A statement by the Chief Public Relations Officer, Mr. Soji Oye, named Justice Tijani Abubakar, Chief Judge of Jigawa State as chairman of the probe panel set up by the council, while Iche Ndu, Chief Judge Rivers and Dr. Abigail Ajoku are members.
Part of the press statement reads thus: "Following the petitions written by the Democratic Vanguard; Senator Ugochukwu B. Uba and Senator I. G. Abana against the Hon. President and nine Hon. Justices of the Court of Appeal, to the National Judicial Council, a Committee comprising three of its members was set up to investigate the allegations made therein.
"During investigation, both Senator Ugochukwu B. Uba and Senator Abana testified before the committee. So also Chief Ben Obi and Ben C.N. Ukachukwu.
"The committee found as conceded by the counsel for the petitioners that the allegations were not proved against the Hon. President and the other four Hon. Justices of the Court of Appeal stationed in Enugu Division, who were accused of taking bribe.
"The committee did not prove also the allegations of corrupt practices, undue influence and perversion of justice by the new panel of five Justices of the Court of Appeal, which was appointed by the Hon. President of the Court of Appeal to determine if judgment was actually delivered by the panel that previously heard the appeal on the election petition.
"The committee 's report was considered at the 23rd meeting of the National Judicial Council held on 22nd and 23rd September, 2004. After deliberation, the council accepted the findings of the committee and accordingly, exonerated the Hon. President and all the Hon. Justices of the Court of Appeal of the allegations".
