The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended to President Goodluck Jonathan, the compulsory retirement of Justices Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court, Abuja and Ufot Inyang of the Abuja High Court over “gross misconduct.”
The President is expected to immediately approve the sack of the two judicial officers.
A statement from the Acting Director of Information in the NJC, Soji Oye, explained that the Council, headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, took the decision on the two judges at a meeting on Wednesday, where the two judicial officers were suspended, pending the approval of their sack by the President.
“The National Judicial Council, under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, GCON, at its meeting which was held on 26th February, 2014, recommended the compulsory retirement from office of Hon. Justice G.K. Olotu of the Federal High Court and Hon. Justice U. A. Inyang of High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, respectively for gross misconduct,” 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.
The NJC found that Justice Olotu “failed to deliver judgment only to deliver same in 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 judgments should be delivered within a period of 90 days.”
Also, Justice Olotu “admitted before the Fact Finding Committee of the Council that investigated the allegations that she forgot she had a pending ruling to deliver in an application for joinder.”
The NJC equally found that she “entertained a post Judgment matter in Suit No. FHC/UY/CS/250/2003 in Port Harcourt after delivering judgment, which made her functus officio.”
It was also established that “in another case, Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/505/2012, Justice Olotu failed to deliver judgment twice.”
On his part, Justice Inyang was axed sequel to the findings of the NJC on allegations leveled against him by some petitioners.
He was found to have “included in his judgment, references to the Garnishee Proceedings, which came after the judgment, had been delivered on December, 20, 2011.