By Baron Ike
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has named retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, as the head of the panel to try alleged looters in the country.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen, approved the establishment of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee and named Salami as the head.
A statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, September 27 by the spokesman of the NJC, Soji Oye made the disclosure.
The NJC has suspended Justice Salami on August 18, 2011 for nine months after he refused to apologise to the council and the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, after a panel set up by the council found him culpable of lying against the CJN.
Justice Dalhatu Adamu was appointed immediately to take over as the President of the Court of Appeal, being the most senior justice of the court.
Salami’s appointment, Oye explained, was the outcome of the 82nd meeting of the Council.
The body, which has 15 members, will operate from the Council Secretariat.
Oye gave members of the committee to include Justice Kashim Zannah, the Chief Judge of Borno State; Justice P.O. Nnadi, Chief Judge, Imo State; Justice Marsahal Umukoro, Chief Judge Delta State; Justice M. L. Abimbola, Chief Judge, Oyo State; and A.B, Mahmoud, the President, Nigerian Bar Association.
Others are Chief Wole Olanipekun, former NBA President; Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); J.B Daudu (SAN); Augustine Alegeh (SAN); Dr. Garba Tetengi (SAN) and a member of the NJC, R.I. Inga.
Others include a representative of Non-Governmental Organisations; representative, Ministry of Justice; representative, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria; and the Secretary of the NJC, Gambo Saleh.
According to the statement, the Committee’s primary functions include: (i) Regular monitoring and evaluation of proceedings at designated courts for financial and economic crimes nationwide; (ii) Advising the Chief Justice of Nigeria on how to eliminate delay in the trial of alleged corruption cases; (iii) Giving feedback to the Council on progress of cases in the designated courts, conduct background checks on judges selected for the designated courts; and (iv) Evaluating the performance of the designated courts.
The Chief Justice had during his speech at the Special Session of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to mark the commencement of the 2017/2018 Legal Year, harped on the concerns expressed by members of the public on the very slow speed with which corruption cases were being heard or determined by the Court.
He therefore directed all Heads of Courts to compile and forward to the Council a comprehensive list of all corruption and financial crime cases being handled by their various Courts.
The Committee is expected to drive the Council’s new policy on anti-corruption war.
Retired Controversial Justice Ayo Salami Heads NJC’s Panel on Looters Trial
