The National Judicial Council has launched an official probe into judges of the federal and state high courts who have been involved in conflicting rulings related to the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.
The investigation was ordered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, during a meeting with the probe panel held in her office on Monday.
According to the CJN’s directive, the panel is expected to submit its report within the week. All judges who have presided over the multiple cases stemming from the political dispute between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his former ally, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesome Wike, have been summoned by the probe panel.
The panel, headed by a former justice of the Court of Appeal whose name has been withheld, also includes two heads of courts as members. In addition to the panel’s investigation, the CJN has summoned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, who is scheduled to be questioned on Tuesday.
Sources revealed to TheNigeriaLawyer that while a few formal complaints have been submitted to the National Judicial Council, it was the CJN herself who suo moto ordered a comprehensive probe in response to the public concerns generated by the court cases.
The political crisis in Rivers State has led to a series of conflicting court rulings, raising questions about the impartiality and integrity of the judiciary. The National Judicial Council’s intervention aims to address these concerns and ensure that the judges involved have acted in accordance with their oath of office and the principles of fair adjudication.
