The acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Francis Chukwuma Abosi, and a judge of the Bauchi State High Court, Aliyu Musa Liman have been suspended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for misconduct.
The President of the Customary Court of Appeal was recommended for compulsory retirement following the discovery that he falsified his age.
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According to a statement by the director of information for the NJC, Soji Oye, Judge Abosi falsified his age from 1950 to 1958 and was supposed to have retired in November 2015.
“Abosi was recommended for compulsory retirement following the falsification of his date of birth from 1950 to 1958”.
“Findings showed that he was supposed to have retired in November 2015 when he clocked the mandatory retirement age of Sixty five (65) years,” he said.
“Council decided to recommend for his compulsory retirement to governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and to also deduct the salaries he had earned from November 2015 to date from his retirement benefit.”
Judge Liman of Bauchi State was also recommend for compulsory retirement by the NJC because he refused to give judgement in a case for over four years.
The stipulated time for judgement to be delivered in case after all arguements have been completed according to the 1999 constitution is three weeks.
“Musa Liman was recommended to the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed for compulsory retirement pursuant to the findings by the council for his failure to deliver judgement in suit No BA/100/2010, between Abubakar Isa and Sheik Tahir Usman Bauchi within the three months period stipulated by the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.”
“Council viewed his lordship’s failure to deliver judgement for nearly four years as a misconduct, contrary to section 292 (1)(b) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended and rules 1.3 and 3.7 of the 2016 revised code of conduct for judicial officers of the federal republic of Nigeria.”
Both judges were suspended pending the approval of recommendations against them.