Commission fires six judiciary workers over judgment leakage . Thursday, 04 July 2013 21:32 From Lemmy Ughegbe, Abuja News - National  FOLLOWING alleged complicity in the leakage of a Supreme Court verdict before it was delivered, the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) has dismissed six judiciary staff. The report, which stemmed from Police investigation indicted Senator Alphonsus Igbeke and Mr. Collins Okechukwu for their role in the leakage of the judgment before it was delivered on May 31, 2013 and called for the duo’s prosecution by the Attorney General of Federation and Justice Minister, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN). The penultimate week, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar had warned that beside corrupt judges, any judiciary staff found engaging in unwholesome practices would be shown the way out. The first casualties to go under the sledgehammer, according to the electronic statement released by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Sunday Olorundahunsi include five staff of the apex court and one from the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division. The statement released by Olorundahunsi reads thus: ‘Disciplinary Action Against Erring Judiciary Workers’ “The Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) has during its meeting of June 2, 2013 dismissed five Supreme Court workers and a staff of the Court of Appeal of Abuja Division for their involvement in the leakage of an undelivered judgment in the case of SC 179/2012 Senator Alphonsus Uba Igbeke Vs Lady Margery Okadigbo and three others: “The affected Supreme Court and the Appeal Court workers are: (1) Mr. Russell Ndenu; (2) Mr. Nathaniel Abraham; (3) Mr. Olayinka Abiodun; (4) Mr. Bada Kayode and (5) Mr. Festus Ilurimi; (6) Mr. Stephen Izonebi (Court of Appeal) “The six judiciary workers were found through internal and the Nigeria Police investigation to have conspired amongst themselves and allegedly with two outsiders, i.e. Senator Alphonsus Igbeke and Mr. Collins Okechukwu to leak the judgment before it was delivered on May 31, 2013. “Senator Igbeke put up a paid advert on page 42 of the Daily Sun of May 30, 2013 alleging that the said judgment had leaked which forced his counsel in the matter, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) to write to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to dissociate himself from the publication as well as withdrawing his service to Senator Igbeke on the matter. “The FJSC considered their act as serious misconduct that run contrary to Regulation 48 (1)(xi) of the Federal Judicial Service Commission Regulations, Regulation 49 and Regulation 60 (1)(i). Their acts are also in violation of the Public Service Rule (PSR) Cap 3 Section 4 (030401) and (030416) “Meanwhile, the Federal Judicial Service Commission has requested the minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation to further investigate the motive behind the leakage and possibly take legal action against Senator Alphonsus Igbeke and Mr. Collins Okechukwu for allegedly masterminding the leaked undelivered judgment of the Supreme Court.”
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 12:05:44 +0000