Justice Ademola resumes sitting

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday resumed sitting following his recall by the National Judicial Council last week. Justice Ademola was among the six judges earlier asked by the NJC to stop sitting, shortly after raid conducted by the State Security Service on his house and other judges’ in October last year.

But the NJC, in a statement through its Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, stated on Saturday that Justice Ademola should resume his judicial duties on the basis that the court had exonerated him of the charges preferred against him by the Federal Government. Five other judges were also asked to resume on the basis that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, had failed to institute charges against them since October last year when the minister requested the NJC to suspend them pending the outcome of the cases against them. The NJC had said the development had led to backlog of cases in the various courts where the judges presided. All the judges were therefore asked to resume sitting on Wednesday. Justice Ademola commenced sitting after 9am on Wednesday. Seven cases were listed for the Wednesday’s court session. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joe Agi, with whom Justice Ademola was tried on corruption allegations but later discharged, had his case come up before the judge on Wednesday. Agi, being the only Senior Advocate of Nigeria, his case, although listed as number six, was heard first. When the case was mentioned, the defence was

not represented in court. Agi, who was the plaintiff’s lawyer, however, sought the withdrawal of the case on the grounds that it had been overtaken by event. The judge granted the application and struck out the case. The SAN took his leave from the court immediately after the case was struck out. He declined to speak with journalists waiting outside the courtroom. But a lawyer, Mr. Femi Morohundiya, who was in th court, addressed journalist and welcomed Justice Ademola back. Morohundiya also justified the recall of the judge, following the judge’s acquittal by the trial court earlier this year. The lawyer said, “It is a welcome development. The Senate President is being tried by the executive, yet he is still sitting as the Senate President. This judge has been cleared. “So it is a welcome development that he is back to the judiciary to continue his work.”

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