It was a sweet – sour situation in the nation’s judiciary as the National Judicial Council (NJC) on Friday said it had set up committees to investigate four judges while also recommending candidates for appointment to 11 judicial positions, including the Chief Judges of four states.

The meeting was presided by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and chairperson of the NJC, Olukayode Ariwoola.

The council in a statement signed by NJC’s Director of Information, Soji Oye, said it took the decision after considering a report of one of its complaints assessment committees which review a total of seven petitions sent against various judges.

According to Mr. Oye, three of the seven petitions were dismissed while four others were recommended for further investigations.

The names of the four judges were, however, were not disclosed while three other petitions were dismissed.

“One of the three, was dismissed for being sub-judice and the remaining two were dismissed because the Judicial Officers had retired from service, and by virtue of Rule 18(2) (h) of the National Judicial Council Judicial Discipline Regulations 2017, the Respondent Judicial Officers are no longer under the disciplinary control of the Council,” the statement stressed.

Speaking on the appointment of new Chief Judges for the affected four states, Mr. Oye said the council made the recommendations to the governors of the relevant states at its 101st meeting held on Thursday.

The four states set to have new Chief Judges, according to Mr Oye are Benue, Adamawa, Kwara, and Oyo.

The NJC also recommended candidates for appointment as the Grand Khadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Adamawa State, and the President Customary of the Court of Appeal in the same state.

The rest were recommendations of five nominees as judges of Plateau State High Court.

According to him:” NJC considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee and at the end of the deliberation, recommended the appointment of six heads of court and five judges of Plateau State High Court”.

They are:
1. CHIEF JUDGE, BENUE STATE

i) Hon. Justice Ikpambese Maurice Ahemba

2. CHIEF JUDGE, ADAMAWA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman

3. CHIEF JUDGE, KWARA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Abiodun Ayodele Adebara

4. CHIEF JUDGE, OYO STATE

i) Hon. Justice Iyabo Subulade Yerima

5. GRAND KADI, SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, ADAMAWA STATE

i) Hon. Kadi Ibrahim Wakili Sudi

6. PRESIDENT, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, ADAMAWA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Audu James Balami

7. FIVE (5) JUDGES, HIGH COURT, PLATEAU STATE

i) Charles Donglong
ii) Ashahabu Suleiman Wase
iii) Shikamma Kassam Sheltu
iv) Mary Abah Izam
vi) Nanle Titus Komak

The council, according to him also received notification of the retirements of eight judges of federal and state courts and notification of the death of a Court of Appeal Justice.