The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, has ordered a disciplinary action against a judge of the Upper Area Court in Abuja who recently issued a direct criminal summons against the Anambra State APGA Governorship candidate Professor, Chukwuma Soludo.
This directive was issued to the JSC under the Chairmanship of the Acting Chief Judge of the FCT, Justice Husseini Yusuf-Baba last week
Gambo Garba of the Upper Area Court, Zuba, Abuja, had in July, issued a direct criminal summons against Mr Soludo over his alleged failure to declare his assets while serving as the CBN Governor between 29 May, 2004 and 29 May, 2009.
The complainant, Oliver Bitrus, had alleged that Mr Soludo held the CBN governor’s office as a public officer flagrantly violating the Code of Conduct for public officers by buying property not attributable to his legitimate earnings.
The direct criminal summons issued by the Upper Area Court was an approval to Mr Bitrus to prosecute Mr Soludo at the Court as the criminal summons against Soludo was for alleged serial abuse of office and breach of Code of Conduct for public officers when he was the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria between 29 May 2004 and 29 May 2009.
The acting Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory is expected to submit his findings to the CJN within 21 days.
The CJN recently met with the Chief Judges of FCT, Rivers, Kebbi, Anambra, Cross Rivers, Imo and Jigawa States and directed them to admonish the judges in their jurisdictions on the danger of granting ex parte injunctions.
