NUJ suspends appointments of Judges, Kadis in Kogi Judiciary

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has decided to halt the appointment process of Judges and Kadis for the Kogi State Judiciary. This decision comes in response to a letter from Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, and Yunus Usman, SAN, who informed the council about a lawsuit challenging the appointments made by Governor Yahaya Bello.

In the suit filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja, the lawyers alleged that the appointments were influenced by ethnic and political considerations. They specifically mentioned concerns about the proposed appointment of Amina Bello, the wife of Governor Yahaya Bello, as a High Court judge. According to the lawyers, Amina Bello lacks the necessary experience as a magistrate judge and does not meet other requirements for the position.

In response to the letter from the Senior Advocates, the secretary of the council, Ahmed Saleh, acknowledged the receipt and stated that when an appointment process is subject to litigation, the NJC suspends the appointment until the matter is resolved. The letter emphasized the importance of respecting the authority of the court and maintaining a fair and just legal system.

The spokesperson of the council, Adesoji Oye, has not responded to calls or messages regarding the matter. However, Jibrin Okutepa confirmed the receipt of the letter from the NJC, indicating the suspension of the appointment process for Judges and Kadis in the Kogi State Judiciary.