THE National Judicial Council (NJC) Thursday said the retired Justice of the Federal High Court, Okechukwu Okeke, misled the public when he claimed that he was a victim of injustice in the Nigerian Judiciary.
In a statement released in Abuja by the NJC Acting Director of Information entitled: "Re: Warning of Hon. Justice Okechukwu Okeke, Retired Justice of the Federal High Court by the NJC, Setting the Records Straight," the body said the retired jurist still has a case to answer.
Before Okeke retired from the Federal High Court Bench, the body said, there were five different petitions against him and only three were considered by the NJC at its meeting of April 24 and 25, 2013.
"In the course of deliberation, council noted that Justice Okeke would be retiring from service on May 19, 2013," the statement read. "At the end of deliberation, council noted the three petitions and Okeke's reactions and decided to warn him to desist from acts that are prejudicial to the integrity of the judiciary and administration of justice.
"It is to be stressed that Justice Okeke's responses to the remaining fourth and fifth separate petitions did not form part of the decision of the council at its meeting on April 24 and 25, 2013."
It added: "For avoidance of doubt, the fifth petition dated March18, 2013, by Chief Michael Afolabi Dada & 4 Ors, owners of the property at No. 5A, George Street, Ikoyi, is the Asset Management Company's (AMCON) case wherein Hon. Justice Okeke gave an ex-parte order in favour of AMCON.
"By the Provision of Rule 2(2) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 'a judicial officer must avoid the abuse of the power of issuing interim injunctions ex-parte."
According to the NJC, a thorough examination of the fifth petition and Okeke's response showed that the ex-parte order he granted in favour of AMCON established a case of misconduct contrary to Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Nevertheless, the NJC noted that the said petition and Okeke's reaction were not considered by council because of time constraint.
The statement added: "Council is, therefore, constrained to state that Justice Okechukwu Okeke misled the public into believing that the NJC issued him a warning letter based on the ex-parte order he gave in the AMCON case: (the fifth petition).
Justice Okeke had claimed at the valedictory court session held in his honour that he was a victim of injustice in the Nigerian judiciary.
The Guardian