Osun Chief Judge Probe Will Not Be Swept Under Carpet – NJC

National Judicial Council (NJC) has said the investigation into the allegation of misconduct by the chief judge of Osun State, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, will not be swept under the carpet.

The council said findings of the probe would be made public when concluded.

The NJC said no judicial officer, no matter how highly placed, will be shielded, if found to have committed infractions.

The director of information of NJC, Mr Soji Oye, said a committee is already in place to look into the allegations.

He said a preliminary investigative body has already been set up to look into the issues raised against the chief judge.

Oye said once the preliminary committee finishes sitting, it will send its report to another party which will invite parties involved with their lawyers.

He said, “The NJC is like a court for judges accused of wrongdoings. Preliminary committee has already been set up to look into the allegations.

“The committee will look at the petition and decide whether it has merit or not. After it must have been looked into and it is established that it has merit, another committee, like a court, will be set up, where parties will appear with their lawyers to argue the petition.

“The two sides will be invited to appear with their lawyers to defend themselves. It is after this, that the council will sit and consider the findings and make it public,” he said.

In the midst of the crisis in the judiciary in the state, the CJ was said to have travelled from December to mid-January.

In the petition before the NJC, aggrieved members of staff of Osun State judiciary accused the chief judge of breach of the code of conduct for public officers.

They said the chief judge allegedly engaged in misappropriation of public funds, illegal virement, disobedience of court order, diversion of funds and general abuse of office.

According to them, following the receipt of numerous petitions and complaint of the judiciary staff workers union against Justice Adepele Ojo, civil societies organisation  and the Osun State chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), the Osun State House of Assembly investigated the complaints and petitions by setting up a committee which proceeded to invite several persons and called for documents after which a finding was made showing that the allegations have some semblance of truth in them.

The workers said the committee presented its report to the house after which the same was deliberated on by the House and a recommendation was made to Governor Ademola Adeleke for action.