Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Court Removes Two Judges Heading Ganduje’s Probe in Kano

POSTED ON July 5, 2024 •   Metro      BY Benedicta Bassey
Ex-Governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje/ Photo credit: Dailytrust

The Federal High Court, sitting in Kano,  gave a 48-hour ultimatum to two Kano judges, Justice Lawan Adamu and Justice Zuwaira Yusuf, to resign their appointments from the judicial commissions of inquiry set up by the state government.

The two judges were appointed by the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, to serve as chairmen of the two commissions of inquiry to probe the ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s administration.

Justice Adamu is the chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the recovery of misappropriated public properties and assets while Justice Yusuf is the chairperson of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on political violence and missing persons.

The order was given by Justice Simon Amobeda, while delivering his judgment in the case instituted by Ganduje, praying the court to stop Yusuf from probing his administration.

Justice Amobeda maintained that if the judges failed to comply with the resignation privilege within 48 hours, the National Judicial Council (first defendant) would immediately halt payment of any remuneration, allowances, or benefits from the Federation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund to the judges.

He cautioned them to desist from performing executive functions assigned to them by the governor in courtrooms meant to adjudicate disputes between persons and authorities in the state.

The judge said the action by Yusuf to set up the commissions of inquiry to investigate Ganduje without appealing an earlier court judgment by Justice A. Liman, which declared that Ganduje could only be investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, amounted to abuse of office and undermining the sanctity of the judiciary.

He said, “That, by the combined provisions of Sections 153(1)(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, CFRN, 1999 (as altered), Paragraph 21(d) of Part I of the Third Schedule Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered) and sections 1, 3 and 6 of the Commission of Inquiry Law, Cap. 26, Laws of Kano State, the Governor of Kano State has no power to appoint the 4th and 5th defendants and administer another oath of office on them to serve as chairmen of commissions of inquiry constituted by the Governor of Kano State, an office meant for commissioners of Kano State government, in order to exercise executive powers assigned to them by the Governor of Kano State and stop them from performing their functions as judges of the High Court of Kano State, without recourse to the first defendant (NJC).

“That, by the combined effects of the provisions of Sections 6, 84, 153(1)(1), 271(2), 272 together with Paragraph 21(c) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), the 4th and 5th defendants are not legally permitted, while still purporting to hold the office of Judge of High Court of Kano State, to accept appointments as chairmen of commissions of inquiry with quasi-judicial powers equivalent powers to that of a Magistrates’ Court and subject to review by a Judge of the High Court of Kano State.

“That, by the combined effect of Sections 5 and 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), the action of the Governor of Kano State of appointing the 4th and 5th defendants as chairmen of the commissions of inquiry, pursuant to the provision of Sections 3 and 6 of the Commission of Inquiry Law, Cap. 26, Laws of Kano State, instead of appointing from amongst the Commissioners of Kano State Government, is an encroachment into and undermining the judicial arm of government, a breach of the doctrine of the separation of powers, a grave violation of the Constitution, and gross misconduct on the part of the Governor of Kano State and the 3rd Defendant, who administered the oath of office and oath of allegiance to the 4th and 5th defendants."

READ ALSO
China, Nigeria Strengthen Diplomatic Ties through Cultural Exchange
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - China and Nigeria are seeking to strengthen their diplomatic ties through cultural...

READ ALSO
Isolo Monarch Appointment Sparks Legal Battle: Yekini-Goloba Seeks Court Intervention
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - A new legal dispute is emerging in Lagos State concerning the appointment of Prince...

READ ALSO
MAN Raises Alarm Over FX Scarcity Impacting Industry
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 10, 2025 0

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has expressed concern over the significant losses suf...

READ ALSO
SEC Educates Traders on Ponzi Scheme Pitfalls
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 9, 2025 0

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has intensified its efforts to combat Ponzi schemes in...

READ ALSO
FCCPC applauds court ruling on MultiChoice price probe
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 9, 2025 0

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has expressed its approval of the...

READ ALSO
PenCom Advocates for Expanded Pension Increases for Lagos State Retirees
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 9, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of L...

READ ALSO
N50 Million Fraud: Court of Appeal Affirms Conviction of Former Guaranty Trust Bank Employee
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 8, 2025 0

The Court of Appeal in Enugu has affirmed the conviction and seven-year prison sentence of Onyekachi...

READ ALSO
Man steals ₦20m worth of wigs in Police custody
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 8, 2025 0

A man named Austine, along with his accomplices, stole wigs worth ₦20 million from a moving truck on...

OUR CHANNELS:

Dangote Rejects Claims of Inadequate Fuel Supply Amidst Marketers' Accusations
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has dismissed accusations from oil marketers claiming that the facili...


Students Seek Justice: 2025 UTME Candidates Prepare to Sue JAMB Following Exam Failures
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

Thousands of participants of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination are planning to tak...


Nigeria's Public Debt Hits N144.67 Trillion as Government Borrows Heavily
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

Nigeria's overall public debt increased by N57.3 trillion in the first 18 months of the current admi...


Onigbongbo LCDA Chairman Rejects APC Primary Results, Calls Process a 'Sham
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

The chairman of Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Olufunke Hassan, has dismissed the...


European Football: Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Eredivisie Set for Action
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 11, 2025 0

Football enthusiasts are set for a thrilling day of matches in Europe’s premier leagues today,...


India-Pakistan Ceasefire in Jeopardy: Accusations Fly Amidst Fragile Peace
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

India and Pakistan exchanged accusations of violating a ceasefire early Sunday, just hours after US...


1,006 Foreign Nationals Granted Citizenship Since 2017
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 11, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria (NAN) - The Federal Government officially granted Nigerian citizenship to at least 1,...


PDP's Internal Strife: Gov’s Convene Key Meeting to Tackle Defections and Future Strategy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

In a broader discussion on how to tackle the recent surge of defections and the turmoil within the P...


Ibas vows to tackle piracy, oil theft in Rivers
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 11, 2025 0

The Rivers State Government has urged for enhanced collaboration among security agencies, community...


Lagos APC: Four LCDAs Announce Consensus Candidates for Primaries
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 12, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - In preparation for the local government election on July 12 in Lagos State, four Lo...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu