Federal High Court judges recalled from compulsory retirement set to commence sitting

Two judges of the Federal High Court recently recalled from compulsory retirement, a sanction imposed on them for alleged acts of misconduct years back, are set to begin sitting at the court’s headquarters in Abuja.

The judges – Gladys Olotu and Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia – were recalled after obtaining separate court judgments that overturned the National Judicial Council (NJC)’s disciplinary action against them.

Following their recall to the bench, the two judges have now been assigned separate courtrooms at the court’s headquarters in Abuja, according to the court’s assistant director of information, Catherine Christopher.

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, assigned them their new courtrooms on Wednesday, Ms. Christopher confirmed in response to a telephone enquiry by PREMIUM TIMES Thursday.

The judges are now set to begin siting over cases which the Chief Judge is expected to start assigning to them earnestly in Abuja.

The Federal High Court has divisions spread across the country.

Read Also: Alleged Corruption: EFCC Re-Arraigns Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, Godwin Obla

The Abuja division, one of the busiest in terms of volume of cases it has to deal with, is a highly coveted posting among the judges of the court.

The division handles most of the election-related cases from across the country.

Ms. Olotu’s reinstatement comes nearly a decade after her sack by the federal government.

The judge was appointed to the Federal High Court’s bench in July 2000, was compulsorily retired from the bench in February 2014 by President Goodluck Jonathan based on the recommendation of the National Judiciary Council (NJC).

Her forced retirement was sequel to the NJC’s investigations which found her culpable of “gross misconduct.”

Similarly, the NJC indicted Ms. Ofili-Ajumogobia of various acts of misconduct including serving as the Director/Chief Executive Officer and sole signatory to a company, Nigel and Colive Company, contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ms. Ofili-Ajumogobia, during her years-long hiatus from the bench, faced criminal prosecution which was only terminated after another judge of the Federal High Court, Binta Nyako, quashed NJC’s recommendations sacking her.

Recalls that in October 2018, the council while dismissing Ms. Ofili-Ajumogobia, said several individuals, government officials and business partners lodged funds into various accounts belonging to her.

Ms. Olotu’s alleged acts of misconduct

Aloma Mukhtar, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) who headed the NJC, said Ms. Olotu’s dismissal was based on findings made by the council after investigations into allegations contained in petitions brought against her.

The NJC found that Ms. 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 judgments should be delivered within a period of 90 days.”