The National Judicial Council has suspended two judges namely the Acting President of Customary Court of Appeal in Imo State, Justice Francis Abosi and Justice Aliyu Liman of Bauchi State High Court with immediate effect.

The Council, under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, I. T. Muhammad, also appointed 70 new judicial officers.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director of Information of the Council, Mr Soji Oye. The decision to sack the Judges was taken during its 91st meeting held online on  April 22.

Justice Francis Abosi was recommended for compulsory retirement following the discovery of the falsification of his date of birth from 1950 to 1958. The NJC found that he was ought to have retired in November 2015 when he attained the mandatory retirement age of 65 years.

The Council also made a recommendation to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state to deduct the salaries he had earned from November 2015 to date from his retirement benefit.

Justice Aliyu Liman of Bauchi State High Court was recommended to the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, for compulsory retirement pursuant to the findings by the Council for his failure to deliver judgement in suit No BA/100/2010 between one Abubakar Isa and Sheik Tahir Usman Bauchi within the three months period stipulated by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Council said it viewed his failure to deliver judgement for nearly four years as a misconduct, contrary to Section 292 (1) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended and Rules 1.3 and 3.7 of the 2016 Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Council headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Mohammed also constituted a 10-man committee to come up with urgent practical strategic measures to be put in place in order to ensure courts continue to function despite the lockdown and COVID-19 challenges.

Members are Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Justice John Tsoho, Justice Benedict Kanyip, Justice Ishaq Bello, Justice Kashim Zannah, Justice Oyebola Ojo, Paul Usoro, Abubakar Mahmoud, Damian Dodo, and Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour as Chairman.

The Committee is expected to come up with guidelines or a template for implementation to explore possible areas of collaboration between the Judiciary and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, stakeholders in the Justice Administration and Development Partners in Justice Administration Sector and any other measures that the Committee may deem fit in realising these objectives and they have 14 days to submit its report.

Petitions against Justice Othman Musa of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Justices Muhammed Sambo and Sa’ad Zadawa of the High Court of Justice, Bauchi State were dismissed for lacking in merit.

Council also decided to report Apeiyi Becon Clement, Ifeanyi Egwasi, Nwafor Orizu, Godwin Nkemjika Chukwukwere, Akopde Haggai Ukuku, Chief Emefo Etudo, Osamudiamen Obarogie and B. S. Onuegbu to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for various acts unbecoming of  Legal Practitioners ranging from unruly behaviour, walking out of court in the cause of proceedings, to submission of false documents to Court.

Seventy Judicial Officers were recommended for appointment as President, Court of Appeal, Grand Kadis, President, Customary Court of Appeal and Judges of High Court of States and the Federal Capital Territory and Kadis of States Sharia Courts of Appeal.