Justice Goji Sacked As Adamawa High Court Judge

Justice Michael Goji of the Adamawa State High Court has been recommended for compulsory retirement by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on Thursday.

This was according to the Director of Information of the NJC, Mr Soji Oye, who said the decision was reached at the commission’s 86th meeting which was chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, on May 8.

Oye, in a statement issued to reporters, said the development followed a petition last year against 25 Nigerian judges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC, according to Oye, had alongside the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, levelled criminal allegations against the 25 judges in a petition. He said investigation into the allegations is ongoing.

“Petitions written against 25 judicial officers and others by EFCC were also considered by the council, after which it resolved to empanel seven committees to look into the allegations,” the statement read in part.

The NJC’s Director of Information said Justice Gogi was sacked “for refusing to proceed on transfer to the Mubi Judicial Division of the State High Court since July 2017” after being previously placed on suspension by the state’s governor, Jibrilla Bindow.

Oye said the commission has, however, cleared Justice Paul Galinje of the Supreme Court, as well as Chief Judges of three states namely; Justice Aminu Ringim (Jigawa), Justice Peter Umeadi (Enugu), and Taminu Zailani, Chief Judge (Kaduna) alongside others who were facing different allegations of misconduct.