The National Judicial Council (NJC) has issued warning letters to two judges of the state High Courts, with one of them placed on its watch list over acts bordering on judicial misconduct. The two judicial officers are Justice Muawiyah Baba Idris of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and a justice of the High Court of Kaduna state, Justice M.M. Ladan. The action against them was taken at the 97th meeting of the Council held on March 15 and 16, 2022, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammad Ibrahim.
In the case, Justice Idris was issued with a warning letter and placed on NJC's watchlist "for a period of one year, for signing the Writ of Possession for execution on the same day he delivered judgment in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/FT/36/19 between Sicons Nigeria Ltd V Nile Place Restaurant and Catering Services Ltd. The suit was for the recovery of demised property. Council agreed with the findings of the Committee that investigated the Hon. Judge that his action was in contravention of Proviso to Order 27 Rule (16) (b) High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Civil Procedure Rules 2018 and Order 4 (1) and (2) of the Judgement Enforcement Rules 2004.
Meanwhile, a statement by the NJC Director for Information, Soji Oye, disclosed that Council, at the meeting, considered the list of candidates presented by its interview committee, and at the end of the deliberation, the council recommended the under-listed names of 15 successful candidates as heads of courts and other judicial officers in Nigeria.
They are as follows: Chief Judge, Plateau State, Justice David Gwong Mann; Chief Judge, Gombe State, Justice Joseph Ahmed Awak; Grand Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Kaduna State, Kadi Abdurrahman Umar Abubakar; Grand Khadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Taraba state, Kadi Shuaibu Dahiru Ahmad and President, Customary Court of Appeal, Rivers State, Justice Ihemnacho Wilfred Obuzor. The rest are President Customary Court of Appeal, Cross River State, Justice Sampson Mbeh Anjor, six Judges of the Federal High Court, Bala Khalifa-Mohammed Usman; Emmanuel Gakko; Aminu Garba; Musa Sulaiman Liman; Ahmad Gama Mahmud, and Segun-Bello Mabel Taiye.
Also on the list are a judge of the High Court of the FCT, Justice, Joseph Adebayo Aina; Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Taraba State, Sallau Ismaila Madugu; one judge, Customary Court of Appeal, Taraba state, Justice Bulus Samuelson Nyiputen.
The members also considered the reports of various committees and noted the notification of retirements of 23 judicial officers of the federal and state courts and notification of the death of one State High Court Judge.
