NJC to sack more judges

 by  Lanre Adewole- Lagos

News coming out of the nation’s judiciary top echelon is pointing to the sack of more judges as different panels set up by the National Judicial Council (NJC) are about to turn in their final reports, a top source revealed on Friday.
The source, who was shocked by the ongoing probe of Justice Abubakar Talba of the Abuja High Court over the controversial sentencing of  pension scam suspect, Yakubu Yusufu, told Saturday Tribune that feelers from other committees working on allegations against others judges under probe were returning damning verdicts.
One of such judges was involved in the controversial trial of a former governor for corruption, coming up with a controversial conclusion.
His indictment was said to be inevitable following the confession of the said former governor to grand larceny.
The council’s Performance and Evaluation Committee, headed by a retired justice of the Supreme Court, reportedly entered dismissal recommendation for the said judge, who currently sits in a state in the North-Central.
Talba’s fate may also have been sealed, considering reports that an incriminating piece of evidence had been sourced against him over his alleged dumping of an agreement among him, Yusufu and the prosecuting Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the execution of the controversial plea-bargain involving Yusufu’s alleged theft of N2 billion pension fund.
Though it could not be confirmed if any case of corruption had been established against Talba, Saturday Tribune source noted that reneging on an agreement by all the parties in the said suit and concluding on another without the involvement of the prosecution would amount to unethical conduct, which may ultimately put Talba on the firing line.
The source also disclosed that some judges were found guilty of dereliction of duties by the evaluation panel, adding that those that had earlier been queried for same offence would definitely be shown the way out.
Saturday Tribune can also disclose that the NJC, on Friday, received the police investigative report that indicted the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, Tunji Ijaya, chieftains of the Action Congress of Nigeria and telecommunications giant, MTN, for unethical communications during the hearing and determination of the Osun State Governorship Election Appeal Tribunal.
The police report was made available to the council by former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, seeking a review of the council’s probe clearing Salami over the alleged unethical communication.
A source disclosed that the report was received on Friday and briefly deliberated upon.
It was learnt that the council will meet on March 13 and 14, and might use the platform to deliberate on whether to re-open the Salami probe or not.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja would on March 11 deliver judgment in a suit seeking to reinstate Salami to office without the assent of the approving authority; President Goodluck Jonathan.

NJC had no objection to the prayers of the plaintiff and others respondents; Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bello Mohammed Adoke did not enter an appearance.
NigerianTribune