CJN orders disciplinary action against judge over criminal summon on ex-CBN gov, Soludo

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, has ordered the Judicial Service Committee (JSC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to immediately initiate disciplinary action against the Upper Area Court Judge who issued direct criminal summons against a former governor of the Central Governor of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.

The judge, whose name is being withheld, issued the criminal charges against the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State over alleged serial abuse of office and breach of Code of Conduct for public officers when he was the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria between 29 May 2004 – 29 May 2009.

The Upper Area Court had on 23 August 2021 issued a direct criminal summons against Soludo over perjury, corruption and false assets declaration which is completely outside the jurisdiction of the Upper Area Court.

FCT Judicial Service Committee is under the Chairmanship of the Acting Chief Judge, Hon. Hussein Baba Yusuf.

A top source told our correspondent that “from all indications, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman National Judicial Council, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, seems determined to put an end to impunity and misconduct in the Judiciary”.

It would be recalled that Muhammad had met with the chief judges of the FCT, Rivers, Kebbi, Cross River, Jigawa, Anambra and Imo states on Monday 6 September 2021 and directed some of them to admonish the judges in their jurisdictions on the danger of granting ex parte injunctions.

The acting Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory is expected to submit his findings to the CJN within 21 days.