JUDICIARY
Group Seeks Disciplinary Actions Against Lawyers Over Misconduct Towards Benue CJ, NJC.
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
A group known as Benue Arise Network, on Monday, called on the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), to as a matter of urgency, institute disciplinary actions against the team of lawyers led by Uwem U. Umoanwan over their alleged infamous conduct against the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese and the National Judicial Commission(NJC).
The publicity secretary of the group, Mr.
Joseph Igbudu, in a statement he issued and made available to newsmen in Makurdi, their attention has been drawn to media reports on a suit by a group,Optimum Media Limited, seeking the court to compel the Governor of Benue State, Reverend Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to request the Benue State House of Assembly to investigate the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.Mr. Igbudu said, according to the report, the suit which is filed by a team of lawyers led by Uwem U. Umoanwan, Esq, is marked FHC/MKD/CS/56/2024, before the Federal High Court Makurdi Division.
He stated that, it would be recalled that, on February 12, 2024, the Benue Arise Network(BAN), drew the attention of the world to a malicious, frivolous and ill-fated petition to the National Judicial Commission(NJC), by a group under the umbrella of Benue Diaspora Vanguard(US Chapter ),
against Justice Ikpambese, dated November 30,2023, bordering on alleged judicial misconduct, gross disobedience of court judgment, abuse of power and financial mismanagement.
Parts of the statement read: “We also informed the public that,same petition was served on the Governor of Benue State, calling on the governor to investigate the allegations against the Chief Judge of Benue State by the same group.
“As expected, that petition was decided by the NJC, and it met it’s ill-fated status as it was dismissed. The NJC under the chairmanship of Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, at it’s plenary on May 15th, 2024 and May 16th, 2024, resolved all pending petitions/issues, and Justice Ikpambese was not amongst the three judges disciplined by the NJC.
“These facts are still in public domain and can easily be verified by media reports or just by visiting the website of the NJC, njc.gov.ng.
“We find it strange and embarrassing on the integrity of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, that a lawyer will file a suit on issues already decided by the NJC.
“Interestingly, the same petition dated November 30th, 2024, addressed to the NJC and was dismissed by the NJC is marked as Exhibit ‘A’, while the letter to the Governor, urging him to investigate the CJ of Benue State are annexed and marked as and Exhibit ‘B’ in the suit before the Federal High Court in Makurdi.
“We wish to state that the lawyer who filed the suit praying the court to order the Governor of Benue State to request the Benue State House of Assembly to investigate the Chief Judge of Benue State ought to know as lawyers that the disciplinary body for judges is the NJC and not the Governor of Benue State or the Benue State House of Assembly.
“The team of lawyers led by Uwem U. Umoanwan ought to be ministers in the temple of justice and should know the appropriate disciplinary body for judges.
“It is our believe that the suit is accentuated by malice and the conduct of the lawyers is infamous and worthy of disciplinary actions”.
The group therefore called on the respective NBA branches of the affected lawyers to sanction the affected lawyers.
“We equally call on Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee(LPDC) of the NBA to immediately commence disciplinary action against the team of lawyers that filed Suit No:FHC/MKD/CS/56/2024, as the issues before the court have already been decided by the NJC.
“If the plaintiffs/lawyers were not satisfied with the decision of the NJC, they would have taken the NJC to court and challenged the decision of the NJC and not urging the court to compel the governor to request the Benue State House of Assembly to investigate the CJ of Benue State.
“The suit is also an invitation to a gross violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which has already made provisions for the procedure for disciplining judges”.
The Benue Arise Network further cautioned those sponsoring attacks on Justice Ikpambese to desist from such as they are ready to mobilize spirited individuals and well-meaning citizens of Benue State and Nigerians to counter any plot against the CJ who has done nothing other than to offer meritorious service to the Nigerian judiciary and Nigeria as a nation.
They however urged Justice Ikpambese not to be deterred or blackmailed to give into the whims and caprices of those who are bent on discrediting his hard-earned reputation and that of the Nigerian judiciary at large.
Justice Maryann Anenih o a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court on Tuesday struck out the bail application filed by former governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi.Anenih struck out the application on the grounds that it was filed when the former governor was yet to be taken into custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The application was filed on Nov. 22, while the former governor was taken into custody of the anti-graft agency on Nov. 26 and arraigned on Nov. 27.(NAN)Details later….
Five men, on Monday appeared before an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun, for allegedly stealing a truck load of Milo products worth N25 million.The defendants, Temidire Ramon, 35, Aminu Yusuf, 26; Olusola Opadare, 35; Oludayo Adeleye, 38, and Amodu Jimoh, 51, are standing tial on a two-count charge of stealing and conspiracy.
The prosecutor, Insp E. O.Adaraloye, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on Oct. 13, 2020, at Agbara in Ogun.Adaraloye, said that the defendants conspired and stole a truck load of Milo products valued at N25 million, belonging to Nestle Company.He said that the offences contravened Sections 390(9) and 516 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun, 2006.They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.The Magistrate, Mr O.A Onagoruwa, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.He ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.Onagoruwa also ordered that the sureties must show evidence of tax payment to Ogun State Government.He adjourned the case until Dec.12 for hearing. (NAN)
A Grade 1 Area Court, Kubwa has granted Maryam Muhammad custody of two children from her former husband, Bashir.
The judge, Musa Sabo ordered Bashir to pay Muhammad N175,000 for a self contained apartment in arrears following the plaintiff’s claim of already paid rent.
Sabo added that Bashir should secure a self contained apartment or pay the plaintiff N250, 000 annually for accommodation.
He said that the children would spend first and third term holidays with their father and second term holidays with their mother.
The judge said the father could pick his children up every weekend for outings within 10a.m to 6.pm from the mother and notify her before hand.
He also ordered him to pay outstanding school fees if any and pay the plaintiff arrears for the fees she claimed to pay after verifying same as she failed to prove it.
Sabo ordered Bashir to pay N40,000 from October 2023 To February 2024 and subsequently pay N45,000 monthly for the children’s upkeep..
Regarding the children’s medication, he ordered Bashir to make an arrangement based on his financial capability.
Earlier, the plaintiff approached the court for custody of her children, maintenance, Islamiyya school fees, enrollment of one of the children in a special needs school and transportation.
She also sought for Bashir to refund N770, 000 which she paid for her house rent with the children and pay for the medicals of the children.
Bashir however said his ex-wife paid the rent without his consent adding that he is a civil servant and not financially capable.
“I do not earn up to N2 million annually and I am currently paying N600,000 rent annually. My children are already under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS),” he said.(NAN)
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