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.
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