NJC RECOMMENDS JUSTICE FALOLA FOR SACK FROM THE BENCH

A judge of the Osun State High Court, Justice S. O. Falola is now on the list of judges recommended for sack by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

NJC also set up panels to investigate 51 petitions against other judges accused of involvement in various acts of misconduct in the discharge of their judicial duties.

At its 104th Meeting in Abuja, NJC invoked its constitutional powers and placed the judge on indefinite suspension from duties.

This will stay pending until the Governor Adeleke of Osun State gives effect to its recommendation to compulsorily retire the judge from service.

The recommended compulsory retirement followed the findings of an Investigation Committee in a petition written against the Judge by one Dapo Kolapo Olowo and Polaris Bank.

The NJC's meeting that was chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola found Justice Falola culpable of granting an order garnishee absolute for enforcement of a court judgement “in a questionable and strange manner.”

At the meeting, as resolved, the NJC found the Osun State judge to have erred in a matter that he handled wherein he misconducted himself by entertaining suit No HIK/41/2018.

Justice Falola was accused of entertaining proceedings for enforcement of a judgement from a Kwara State court when in actual fact, there was no evidence whatsoever of such judgement of the Kwara State High Court before him.

There was also no Certificate of Registration of such judgement in Osun State to confer jurisdiction on him.

NJC also found Justice Falola wanting because he conspired with some lawyers and court officials to execute a garnishee order without appropriate recourse to the law.

An NJC statement signed by Soji Oye, the NJC’s director of information said Justice Falola will be removed from the bench because his conduct was unbecoming of the standard expected of a Judicial Officer.