The National Judicial Council, NJC, has applied the long arm of the law as it slammed one year suspension without pay on three Judges of the High Court in the nation for different acts of judicial misconduct.
The concerned judges are Hon. Justice Jane Inyang of the Court of Appeal, Uyo Division, Hon. Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division and Hon. Justice Aminu Baffa Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Zamfara Division.
The Court of Appeal Justice was given one year suspension without pay having been found of breaching Rule 3 (5) of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.
Justice Jane Inyang was found to have abused his office by issuing inappropriate ex-parte orders in a case for the sale of Hon. Udeme Esset’s petrol station and other businesses at interlocutory stage of the case.
The act of judicial misconduct was said to have occurred while he presided over Suit No. FHC/UY/CS/46/2023, at the Federal High Court, Uyo Judicial Division, before his elevation to Court of Appeal.
However, Justice Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, was also placed on suspension for one year without pay.
The judge was also placed on Watch-List for five years and also barred from elevation to higher court for five years.
The complaints against Justice Ekwo arose from Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/184/2021, wherein His Lordship delivered a ruling in a pending application without hearing the parties.
He was also found to have ignored an application to set aside the proceedings of the Court conducted in the absence of the parties and proceeded to deliver a ruling in the case, an action which ran foul of Rule 3.1 and 3.3 of the 2016 Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Also, Justice Aminu Baffa Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Zamfara Division was suspended for one year without pay for judicial misconduct in breach of Rule 3 (1) and 5 of the 2016 Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.
The Council also placed His Lordship on the Watch-List for three years within which period he is stopped from elevation.
Hon. Justice Baffa was found liable for act of judicial misconduct in Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/30/2021, the Government of Zamfara State vs EFCC, wherein His Lordship granted an order restraining security agencies from carrying out their statutory duties and disregarded the doctrine of stare decisis in adjudication of the case.
