NJC replaces Justice Salami, inaugurates committee on looters trial

THE National Judicial Council (NJC) on Tuesday announced a replacement for Justice Isa Ayo Salami who recently rejected his appointment as chairman of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee.

The former President of the Court of Appeal had allegedly accused the NJC of not standing by his side during his ordeal at the Court of Appeal which led to his suspension and eventual retirement as President of the court.

The Director of Information of the NJC, Soji Oye said in a statement yesterday that the Council had approved the appointment of a retired justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Suleiman Galadima as the new Chairman of the Corruption trial monitoring committee.

The statement reads in part: “The National Judicial Council under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, has picked a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Suleiman Galadima as the new chairman of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO).

“He is to replace Justice Ayo Salami (retired) who excused himself from the committee as the chairman, after initially accepting to serve”, the statement said and added that the committee will be inaugurated today by the CJN.

Justice Galadima was born October 1946 in Nasarawa State and attended Government College Keffi where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate in 1965 before he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Law in 1977 and was called to the Bar after he graduated from the Nigerian Law School in 1978.

“He later received a master’s degree in Law from the University of Jos in 1985. He joined the Anambra State Judiciary as Magistrate on July 1988 and in 1990, he was appointed as Attorney General and the Commissioner for Justice, Plateau state. On May 1991, he became the High Court Judge of Plateau State. At the creation of Nasarawa State in 1996, he was appointed as its pioneer Chief Judge of the State.

“On December 9, 1998, he was appointed to the Court of Appeal and on August 2010, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He retired on October 10, 2016, at the mandatory retirement age of 70 years”, the NJC spokesman stated.

Other members of the committee include: the Chief Judge, Borno State, Justice Kashim Zannah; the Chief Judge of Imo State, Justice P.O. Nnadi; Chief Judge Delta State, Justice Marsahal Umukoro, Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice M. L. Abimbola. Others are the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. A.B Mahmoud (SAN); former NBA Presidents, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN); Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); Mr. J.B Daudu (SAN); and Mr Augustine Alegeh (SAN); Dr Garba Tetengi (SAN);  Mrs. R I Inga, Representative of Non-Governmental Organisations, Representative from the Ministry of Justice, Representative from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, as well as the Secretary of the NJC, Mr Gambo Saleh.

The statement recalled that the, “CJN, in response to the concern expressed by members of the public on the every slow speed with which corruption cases were being heard and disposed of by Courts, and the need to fast track the administration of Criminal Justice, directed the Heads of Court to set up Special Courts to speedily hear and determine corruption and financial crime cases and forward the comprehensive list to the Council.”