Following the directive by the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja,
on Wednesday, resumed his judicial duties.
The NJC had directed Justice Ademola to reusme sitting on Wednesday, to attend to the backlog of cases in his court for the past eight months, having been discharged and acquitted of all the criminal allegations levelled against him by the Federal Government.
The spokesman of the NJC, Soji Oye said in a statement that the decision directing Justice Ademola and five other judges to resume work was taken at the end of the NJC’s 82nd meeting held on May 31 and June 1st, 2017, which considered the backlog of cases in his court and other judicial officers who were directed to recuse themselves from duties on the request of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN) pending the outcome of investigations against them.
The statement noted that, after deliberation, NJC noted that out of the judicial officers directed to recuse themselves from performing their official duties with effect from November 2nd, 2016, only Justice Ademola’s trial has been concluded and discharged and acquitted of the charges filed against him.
The Council, headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, decided that the various Heads of Court should direct Justices John Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court, Uwani Abba Aji of the Court of Appeal, Hydiazira A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Ademola of the Federal High Court who has been discharged and acquitted, Musa H. Kurya of the Federal High Court; and Agbadu James Fishim of National Industrial Court of Nigeria to resume their judicial duties with effect from Wednesday, June 7th, 2017, as there are already backlog of cases in their various Court for the past eight months.
Meanwhile, the presidency has kicked against the decision of the NJC directing that Justice Ademola should resume sitting, while there was an appeal, challenging the judgement of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory which discharged and acquitted the Judge.
Some are of the opinion that the NJC was in a hurry to clear judges whose integrity were in question and that there are still several petitions against Justice Ademola.
Justice Ademola sat over seven cases on resumption on Wednesday, and reserved judgement in the case filed by Kefas Gadzama against Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE).