Why NJC suspended 2 judges

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended two judges, Justice Francis Chukwuma Abosi and Justice Aliyu Musa Liman, with immediate effect.

Director of Information of NJC, Soji Oye, Esq disclosed this in a Friday statement.

According to the statement, the decision to suspend the judges was taken at NJC’s 91st Meeting held online on 22nd and 23rd April, 2020.

While Justice Abosi is the Acting President, Customary Court of Appeal, Imo State, Justice Liman is a judge with the Bauchi State High Court.

“Council at the meeting also recommended the compulsory retirement of Hon. Justice Francis Chukwuma Abosi, Acting President, Customary Court of Appeal, Imo State and Hon. Justice Aliyu Musa Liman of Bauchi State High Court of Justice with immediate effect.

“Hon. Justice Francis Chukwuma Abosi, was recommended for compulsory retirement following the falsification of his date of birth from 1950 to 1958.

“Findings showed that he was supposed to have retired in November, 2015 when he clocked the mandatory retirement age of Sixty-five (65) years.
Council decided to recommend for his compulsory retirement to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and to also deduct the salaries he had earned from November, 2015 to date from his retirement benefit.

“Hon. Justice Aliyu Musa Liman was recommended to the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed for compulsory retirement pursuant to the findings by the Council for his failure to deliver judgement in suit No BA/100/2010, between Abubakar Isa and Sheik Tahir Usman Bauchi within the three months period stipulated by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Council viewed His Lordship’s failure to deliver judgement for nearly four years as a misconduct, contrary to Section 292 (1) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended and Rules 1.3 and 3.7 of the 2016 Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Meanwhile, the National Judicial Council, in the exercise of its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, has suspended Hon. Justice Francis Chukwuma Abosi and Hon. Justice Aliyu Musa Liman from office pending the approval of the recommendation of the Council for his compulsory retirement to the their respective State Governors,” the statement read in part.

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