18th July, 2013
Nnamdi Felix / Abuja
The National Judicial Council, NJC, at the end of it’s meeting on Thursday in Abuja, came down hard on former Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Lawan Hassan Gummi, who recently quit office to become the Emir of Gummi, in Zamfara state.
The Council accepted the findings of its Committee which found that Justice Gummi interfered with the execution of a judgment delivered by Justice Jude Okeke of Abuja High Court in a suit between Nestello Gateway Group and Alhaji Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, a former National Assembly member and current Governor of Zamfara state in which execution had already been levied in favour of Nestello.
The NJC held that the interference by Justice Gummi in the execution of the Judgment is most unethical and highly reprehensible and accepted the recommendation of the Investigation Committee that Justice Gummi was guilty of gross misconduct contrary to Rule 1(i) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which would have led to his removal from office.
The Council however, took cognizance of the fact that Gummi has already voluntarily retired from service and consequently decided not to recommend his removal from office. But it ruled that henceforth, any similar misconduct by any Judicial Officer in the Federation will be visited with severe sanctions.
Another judge, Justice M. A. Onyetenu of the Federal High Court was reprimanded by the Council for granting Ex-parte Order without hearing a pending Motion on notice and applications in a suit between Evangelist Charity O. Akah vs. Alpaca Price Nigeria Limited.