Judicial Council Denies Suspending Katsina-Alu, Salami

SAN FRANCISCO, March 10, (THEWILL) – The National Judicial Council (NJC) has denied media reports which said it had suspended the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu and the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami from its membership following its investigation into allegations of gross misconduct against the duo.

THEWILL and other news media had reported earlier that the decision to suspend the top justices was reached in a meeting where the council set up a 5-member probe panel to investigate the allegations against Justices Katsina-Alu and Salami.

The NJC however confirmed that the council “deliberated on the various Petitions written against the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius I. Katsina-Alu, GCON, the Honourable President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, OFR and some Justices of the Court of Appeal” at its 5th emergency meeting in Abuja.

As we had earlier reported, the council confirmed the constitution of the probe panel with Hon. Justice Umaru Abdullahi, CON as Chairman, while members include Hon. Justice E. O. Ayoola, CON, Hon. Justice D. O. Edozie, CON, Hon. Justice M. E. Akpiroroh and Hajiya Rakiya S. Ibrahim, MON.

The NJC in a statement signed by its Secretary, Danladi Halihu added that the panel was given two months to submit its findings because of the gravity and number of the petitions.

“In view of the number of the petitions involved and the gravity of the allegations contained therein, Council gave the Panel a time-frame of two months within which to submit its Report,” the statement said.