The National Judicial Council (NJC), chaired by Hon. Justice
Mahmud Mohammed has come down with a heavy disciplinary gavel on Justice Rita
Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, warning her and putting her on the
“Watch-List” of the Council for the next four years.
The judge
will also not be considered for any elevation to the Court of Appeal or any
Ad-hoc Judicial appointment until she retires from the Bench.
A
statement by Soji Oye, the Acting Director of Information [of…], said the
decisions were taken at a meeting of the Council held on February 24th and
25th.
The NJC
decisions are a sequel to a petition against her by one Victoria Ayeni alleging
misconduct and injustice by Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia for failing to deliver
judgment in a pre-election suit between Victoria A. A. Ayeni and Olusola Sonuga
and 2 Ors.
SaharaReporters
has however learned that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia has some other undisclosed
strikes against her, including obtaining money from former Aviation Minister
Femi Fani-Kayode to set him free of the corruption charges against him in a
case before her.
It would
be recalled that last July, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia discharged and acquitted
Fani-Kayode of all the corruption charges against him. In her dismissal
of the charges, she described the prosecution’s case as “feeble”, arguing that
it had failed to provide “copious evidence” linking Fani-Kayode with money
laundering.
In her
petition, Ms. Ayeni had alleged that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia deliberately
adjourned the suit several times until the termination of the life span of the
Ogun State House of Assembly, a charge the NJC apparently agreed with.
It has
also emerged that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia struck a deal with the embattled
former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety
Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, who is now being tried on various
multi-billion Naira corruption charges, to provide employment for her daughter
in exchange for covering up his atrocities in court.
The
decision of the NJC on Hon. Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia is with immediate effect.
Source: Sahara Reporters
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