The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended Justice G.C. Aguma of the High Court of Rivers State and Justice A.O. Nwabunike of Anambra State High Court over allegations of misconduct, News About Nigeria reports.
According to a statement released on Friday, the decision was made during the NJC’s 107th meeting, presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun on November 13 and 14, 2024.
In the statement, the NJC revealed that both were suspended for a period of one year without pay and placed on a watchlist for two years thereafter.
Also, a total of 5 serving Judicial Officers were sanctioned for various acts of misconduct.
The council also recommended the compulsory retirement of the Chief Judge of Imo State, Hon. Justice T.E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka, and the Grand Kadi of Yobe State, Hon. Kadi Babagana Mahdi, over falsification of their ages.
Giving details on their offences, the statement partly reads, “The Council’s findings revealed that Hon. Justice G. C. Aguma, committed acts of misconduct by aiding a litigant who obtained a judgment at the FCT High Court, Abuja, and filed a garnishee against judgement debtors in Bori Division of the High Court, Rivers State.
“The Council finds that Justice Aguma failed to raise any query as to why the garnishee proceedings were brought to his Court in Bori for a money judgment that could effectively be enforced in Abuja. That the judgment was delivered on 15 July 2020, at the High Court of the FCT, while the certificate of judgment was registered at Bori Division of the High Court of Rivers State on 16 July 2020.
“The Council further finds that the speed with which the Hon. Justice Aguma took and granted the order absolute against the judgment debtors showed that he had an interest, especially as he failed to take into consideration the stay of execution of the judgment granted in favour of the judgement debtors by the Bwari High Court, which had been brought to his attention.
“On the part of Hon. Justice A. O. Nwabunike of Anambra State, the Council found him to have breached the provision of Rule 3.1 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2016. He also failed to adhere to the principle of stare decisis from his different interpretation of the word “aspirant” and abused his judicial powers by granting ex parte orders without a Motion on Notice filed along with the Originating Summons.”
