NJC KICKS AS JUDGE STOPS COLLEAGUE’S CORRUPTION PROBE

CONTROVERSY is trailing an ex parte order granted by Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court in Abuja, stopping the alleged corruption probe of his colleague, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
Justice Ademola made news last week by sacking the acting governor of Adamawa State in a controversial judgment, installing the former deputy governor as governor and stopping the planned governorship bye-election in the state.
He was listed for alleged corruption probe by the council, after reportedly finding merit in the petition against him by a suspect in the alleged pension fraud case, Dr Sani Teidi Shaibu.
Shaibu alleged that Ademola refused to sign his bail papers, after meeting the imposed conditions, because he refused to yield to his alleged bribe demand.
Ademola, while defending himself in the open court, denied demanding millions of naira as bribe from the suspect, adding that the documents supporting his bail bids were forged.
Shaibu has spent over a year in detention, trying to meet the bail conditions, even after an order varying them by the Court of Appeal.
Justice Joseph Ekanem, in his lead judgment in the appeal, also sacked Ademola from the trial, while the council set up a three-man panel to probe Ademola.
The members are Justice Shehu Atiku, Justice Victoria Nebo and Mrs Rakiya Sarki Ibrahim.
In a suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/ 689/2014, Ademola asked for an ex parte order, restraining the probe panel from investigating him and the council from acting on the findings of the panel.
It was learnt that following his summons by the panel, instead of appearing before it on the sitting day, the embattled judge was said to have provided a medical report from the National Hospital, Abuja, claiming that his counsel was indisposed.
He also reportedly told the panel that he stood down a case for judgment and would have to rush back to deliver the said judgment, with an alleged promise to return the next day for the panel’s proceedings.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the judge returned the next day to serve a restraining order on the panel, thereby stalling its proceedings.
Checks also revealed that the judgment he reportedly stood down for delivery on the said day was the Adamawa judgment he delivered last week.
The order stopping his corruption probe, obtained by the Nigerian Tribune, was dated September 30.
Meanwhile the council is kicking over the restraining order.
Its counsel are packaging its case against Ademola and reportedly ready to show the court why it could not be restrained from doing its statutory duties.
The council cited the probes of judges indicted in recent time, which were not stopped despite the suits instituted against the council over them.
Justice Kafarati has adjourned further hearing in the matter till November 12, when the council would be seeking to have the ex parte order vacated.
Source: Tribune