▪︎ CJN orders immediate disciplinary action.
By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja
The Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, has ordered the Judicial Service Committee (JSC) of the Federal Capital Territory FCT to immediately initiate disciplinary action against the Upper Area Court Judge who issued direct Criminal Summons against a former governor of the Central Governor of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.
The judge, whose name is being withheld, issued the criminal charges against the Anambra State governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA,
over alleged serial abuse of office and breach of Code of Conduct for public officers when he was the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria between 29 May 2004 – 29 May 2009.
The Upper Area Court had on 23 August 2021 issued a direct Criminal Summons against Soludo over perjury, corruption and false assets declaration which is completely outside the jurisdiction of the Upper Area Court.
Trial on criminal charges on false declaration of assets is exclusively vested in the Code of Conduct Tribunal CCT but the Upper Area Court Judge assumed jurisdiction contrary to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
The FCT Judicial Service Committee, billed to discipline the Judge, is under the Chairmanship of the Acting Chief Judge, Hon. Hussein Baba Yusuf.
A top source told our correspondent that “from all indications, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman National Judicial Council (CJN), Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad seems determined to put an end to impunity and misconduct in the Judiciary”.
It would be recalled that Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad had met with the Chief Judges of FCT, Rivers, Kebbi, Cross Rivers, Jigawa, Anambra and Imo States on Monday 6 September 2021 and directed some of them to admonish the judges in their jurisdictions on the danger of granting ex parte injunctions.
The acting Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory is expected to submit his findings to the CJN within 21 days.
