President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the retirement of Justice Gladys Olotu of the Abuja Federal High Court and Justice U. A. Inyang of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, who were suspended for gross misconduct by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
This was disclosed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke during a brief interaction with State House correspondents yesterday in Abuja.
He said the president acted based on the recommendation by the NJC and that the compulsory retirement took effect from Monday, March 3, 2014.
Acting Director of Information of the NJC, Soji Oye, had in a statement explained that the council headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, took the decision to suspend the two judicial officersat a meeting last week pending the approval of their retirement by the president.
“The National Judicial Council, under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, at its meeting which was held on February 26, 2014, recommended the compulsory retirement from office of Justice G .K. Olotu of the Federal High Court and Justice U.
A. Inyang of High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, respectively for gross misconduct,” the statement said.
The statement said the recommendation for compulsory retirement of the two judges was based on findings made by the NJC after investigations into allegations contained in petitions brought against them.
According to the statement, the NJC had found that Justice Olotu “failed to deliver judgment on Suit No. FHC/UY/250/2003, 18 months after the final address by all the counsel in the suit, contrary to the constitutional provisions that judgements should be delivered within a period of 90 days.”
On his part, Justice Inyang was recommended for dismissal after the NJC Fact Finding Committee established that he “included in his judgment, references to the Garnishee Proceedings, which came after the judgment had been delivered on December 20, 2011.”
According to the NJC, Justice Inyang “also included the name of the counsel for Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Chief Chukwuma Ekomaru, SAN, who came into the matter after the judgment of December 20, 2011 was delivered.”
The NJC also said Justice Inyang “recklessly signed a Writ of Execution, a day after delivering his judgment of December 20, 2011, the same day a notice of appeal and motion on notice for stay of execution were filed.”
