Controversial Pension Fraud Judgement: NJC Says Judge Has Case To Answer

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The National Judicial Council (NJC) has resolved that Justice Abubakar Talba of the Abuja High Court, who allowed a former Deputy Director in the police pension office, John Yusuf to pay N750.000 fine and walked away free after he was convicted for stealing N1.3 billion, has a case to answer.

Following its resolution the council has set up a committee to further investigate the judge and come up with a detailed report of what actually transpired between Mr Yusuf and Justice Talba.
The committee will also consider whether the judgment given by Justice Talba was appropriate in the circumstance.
The council could however not take any decision on 18 other petitions against judges because the responses of judges to the query issued against them came late.
The council will at its next meeting, billed to hold on 13June consider the committee’s report on Justice Talba.
Similarly, petitions against some appeal court judges were also moved for the next meeting of the council.
The council also agreed that funding of the judiciary should be made a first line charge like the funding of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Assembly, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Universal Basic Education Commission.
A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba had filed a suit at the federal high court to make the funding of the judiciary a first line charge in the federation account.
In the suit, he wants the court to declare as unconstitutional, null and void, the continued dependence of the judiciary on the executive arm of government for its budgeting and funds release since it is a violation of sections 81, 84 and 162 of the 1999 constitution.
He also wants the court to declare that by virtue of the constitutional guarantee of the independent fund of the judiciary in accordance with the provisions of 1999 constitution, judiciary’s budget ought to be taken by the National Judicial Council (NJC) straight to the National Assembly for appropriation as against the practice of taking it to the budget office under the presidency.
He also argues that apart from independent budgeting, the funds belonging to the judiciary in the consolidated revenue fund should be released directly to the NJC in whole for disbursement for the needs of the courts as against the practice of release of funds in warrants by the executive arm of government.