National Judicial Council to probe judges over conflicting court orders on Kano emirate tussle
The two Judges who issued conflicting ruling in the ongoing Kano Emirate crisis may face probe going by sources that National Judicial Council (NJC) has shown interest to embark on an emergency meeting to activate a full-scale probe.
Penpushing reports that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has, however, summoned the duo of Chief Judges of the Kano State High Court and the Federal High Court over the conflicting court orders, judges under them have issued in the past days concerning the emirate crisis in Kano.
The Director of Information of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Soji Oye, in a statement on Wednesday, affirmed that the Chief Justice summoned John Tsoho, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, and Dije Aboki, Chief Judge of Kano State High Court, to an emergency meeting scheduled to hold on Thursday.
Penpushing further reports that the statement explained that the summons issued to the chief judges of Federal High Court and the Kano State High Court by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) was to prepare the ground for a full-scale probe.
‘The meeting, a prelude to a comprehensive investigation by the NJC, aims to provide the Chief Justice of Nigeria with a thorough briefing on this troubling development. There is strong indication that the National Judicial Council will conduct an emergency meeting next week where the subject Judges are likely to be invited and subjected to serious investigations’, the statement said
Penpushing also reports that it is recalled that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) earlier on Wednesday described the conduct of judges and lawyers involved in the issuance of the conflicting court orders with regard to the crisis as disgraceful, and called for a probe.
The President of the association Yakubu Maikyau called on the Chief Judges of both the Federal High Court and the Kano State High Court to investigate the actions of the judges involved in issuing these conflicting orders and report their findings to the National Judicial Council (NJC), which is responsible for disciplining erring judges.
‘I call on the respective heads of the courts of the judges concerned to take immediate steps to investigate their conduct for any possible abuse of their judicial offices and file a report with the NJC for necessary action’, Maikyau stressed
Penpushing reports that it is recalled that Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf last Friday reinstated Lamido Sanusi as the sole Emir of Kano and equally dethroned Aminu Ado-Bayero, as well as dissolving the four other emirate councils of Gaya, Karaye, Rano, and Bichi created by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
The development resulted in series of conflicting and counter court orders from both the Federal and State High Courts favouring different parties in the dispute over the Kano Emir throne, as well as counter rulings over eviction order of Bayero from mini palace he was operating
Penpushing further reports that on Tuesday, Federal High Court Judge Justice S. Amobeda directed the police to evict the reinstated Sanusi from the Emir’s Palace in Kofar Kudu, and same day the Kano State High Court Judge Justice Amina Aliyu restrained the police, the State Security Service (SSS), and the Nigerian military from evicting Sanusi from his palace.
Meanwhile, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) is the chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), the body statutorily empowered to discipline erring judges, just as Nigerians anxiously await the decision of the council over the controversial rulings.
FOOTNOTE: You want to share story with us? You want to advertise with us? You need publicity for product, or service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348073463653 or email [email protected]
