By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
KOGI State Judicial Service Commission (JSC), has ordered the compulsory retirement of an Area Court Judge, Alemeru Adekunle Bamidele, for ordering the sale of a property under litigation before him and buying same.
The JSC gave the order of compulsory retirement at its 136th meeting held in Lokoja according to a statement made available to newsmen by the Information Officer of the state High Court of Justice, Mr Saeed Saqueeb.
The statement said that the Area Court Judge was found to have bought a building, the subject matter of litigation before him, after ordering the sale of same and refused to make full payment for the property.
In same vein, the JSC also suspended a Magistrate, Tanimu U. Muhammed, from performing adjudicatory roles as a Magistrate for a period of two years and to be equally, issued a letter of warning.
Muhammed was found to have issued a court order without hearing the parties involved in the case.
Other allegations laid against some other officers were found to be baseless and the officers were exonerated by the Commission.
The exonerated officers include Magistrate Abdul Musa Mopah, Mr. Yunusa Medugu, Deborah O. Ebiloma Esq. and Anuhi Safiya Oiza alleged to have engaged in one form of misdemeanor or the other but found to be innocent.
The statement further revealed that the various allegations against the officers were first investigated by the Commission’s Disciplinary Committee which made appropriate recommendations.
Secretary to the Commission, Dr Tanko Muhammed, hinted that the Commission, also at the 136th meeting, constituted a six-man committee to look into the possibility of improving the welfare of Magistrates and Area Court Judges in the state.
The six-member committee, he said, is headed by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Muizudeen Abdullah, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
