ABUJA -The
National Judicial Council, NJC, Friday, wielded the big stick against Justice
Abubakar Talba of an Abuja High Court, after he was found guilty of handing an
“unreasonable” sentence to a self confessed pension thief, John Yakubu Yusufu.
The Council, Friday, suspended the embattled
trial Judge for one year, saying he should not be entitled to any form of
remuneration within the period.
Talba had on January 28, directed Yusufu to pay
a fine of N750, 000, shortly after the accused person who was a former Deputy
Director in the pension office, admitted before the trial court that he
conspired with six other civil servants and stole about N23billion from the
Police Pension Fund.
Though section 309 of the Criminal Procedure
Act, CPA, upon which the accused person was charged to court by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, gave the court the choice of sentencing
the accused to a maximum of two years imprisonment with a fine, however,
Justice Talba, used his discretion and ordered Yusufu to only pay fine
and go home.
Meantime, following public outcry and a petition
that was filed by the Anti-Corruption Network, led by a former member of the
House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, NJC, summoned Justice Talba, and ordered
him to file his defence to the allegation that he was bribed by the convicted
pension thief.
Though Talba blatantly denied his alleged
convivial relationship with Yusufu, however, the NJC, in a press statement it
issued Friday, found him culpable, accusing him of judicial recklessness.
Consequently, the Council handed him a one year
suspension without pay, maintaining that he failed to exercise his discretion
judicially and judiciously.
Besides, the council which adjourned until June
23 to consider the fate of other justices accused of judicial impropriety,
equally issued a stern warning to Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High
Court, over plethora of petitions that were written against him.
Specifically, the statement which was signed by
the Deputy Director of Information at the NJC, Mr Soji Oye, and made available
to Vanguard read: “The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship
of the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, GCON,
at its Meeting which was held on 24th and 25thApril, 2013 suspended Hon.
Justice Abubakar Mahmud Talba of the FCT High Court from office for a period of
twelve months without pay.
“Hon. Justice Talba was suspended from office
sequel to the Findings by Council that he did not exercise his discretion
judicially and judiciously with regard to the sentences he passed on one of the
accused persons, Mr. John Yakubu Yusuf in the Police Pension case of FRN Vs
Esai Dangabar and 5 Ors.
“It will be recalled that the National Judicial
Council at its Emergency Meeting which was held on 20thFebruary, 2013 set up a
Fact Finding Committee to investigate the allegations levelled against Hon.
Justice Talba in the Police Pension case of FRN Vs Esai Dangabar and 5 Ors.
“The Council however, observed that the Charges
that had been brought by EFCC against Mr. John Y. Yusuf in the First Charge
Sheet containing Counts 1 to 10 under Section 315 of the Penal Code that
provides a maximum jail term of 14 years and fine, were dropped by the EFCC
Counsel and substituted with another Charge Sheet with only three Counts under
Section 309 of the Penal Code that moulds a lesser punishment of two years
imprisonment with or without option of fine.
“The National Judicial Council, in the exercise
of its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria as amended, also issued serious warning to Hon. Justice Talba to
desist from unreasonable exercise of judicial discretion in all matters brought
before him.
“On the various Petitions written against Hon.
Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court who is to retire from service
on 18th May, 2013, the Council considered his responses and decided to
seriously warn him.”
Source: Vanguard
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