The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the immediate compulsory retirement of an Adamawa State High Court Judge, Hon. Justice Michael Goji.

The council made the recommendation during its 86th Meeting, held between May 8 and 9 after its findings on the allegations of misconduct levelled against the judge.

The Adamawa State Judicial State Commission had conducted an investigation on the conduct of Hon. Mr Goji, following the directive of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr Walter Onnoghen, after receiving the complaint from the State Chief Judge.

Apart from the recommendation for compulsory retirement, the Council also directed that he should refund all salaries he received from July, 2017 till date.

Goji, who has now been placed on suspension pending the governor’s approval of the NJC’s recommendation, was sanctioned “for refusing to proceed on transfer to the Mubi Judicial Division of the State High Court since July 2017.

Also according to the NJC, petitions written against 25 Judicial Officers and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), were considered by the Council after which it resolved to enlist seven Committees to look into the allegations.

As part of its resolution, the Council also recommended the appointment of 21 Judges as Chief Judges, Grand Kadi, High Court Judges, Sharia Court Kadis, President, Customary Court of Appeal, and one member of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

It also received the report of the Performance Evaluation Committee of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of Record in the Federation on 16 Judges invited by the Committee to explain their low performance in the last two to four quarters in the year 2017.

•Text (excluding headline) courtesy of Channels TV.

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