*Threatens to report Ngene, other erring judges to NJC

The Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dragged a judge of the Ebonyi State High Court, Justice H.A. Njoku before the Chief Judge, Justice Elvis Ngene, over an alleged abuse of office and gross misconduct.

The party alleged that the office of the Chief Judge and other Judges of the State, are used to commit abuse of court processes, by cloning matters, which are already pending at the Federal High Court Abuja, and filing same in the High Court of Ebonyi State, to get judgments, within record time, thereby frustrating the matter pending before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.

The petition is titled “The Complicity Of The Judiciary In Ebonyi State, Under Your Leadership, In The Unprecedented And Endemic Abuse Of Court Processes, Duplicity And Multiplicity Of Actions, On The Same Subject Matters, Using The Office Of The Chief Judge Of Ebonyi State And Other Judges Of The High Court Of Ebonyi State”, dated 14th March.

In the five-page petition signed by its counsel, Nkemakolam Okoro, S.C Esq, the party alleged that Njoku used his judicial powers to frustrate the judgment of Abuja division of the Federal High Court in suit No: Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1041/2021,, between the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and Ebonyi State House of Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Governor David Umahi and his deputy, Dr. Eric Igwe.

“Our client had earlier, via a letter dated the 7th of March 2022, and addressed to you My Lord, informed you of some cases, on this persistent abuse of court processes, using the judiciary in Ebonyi State. Despite the receipt of the said letter in your office, we have not received any further response yet, from my Noble Lord, and the impunity of using my Lord, and other Judges of the High Court of Ebonyi State, to abuse the processes of court, has continued unabated, as chronicled above.

“It is, therefore, our client’s instructions, most respectfully My Lord, that if no urgent steps are taken to stop the further abuse of processes of court, using the judiciary in Ebonyi State, that it will petition my Lord, as the Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, and other judges of the High Court of Ebonyi State, to the National Judicial Council. Our client will also petition the lawyers used either as Plaintiffs, or Defendants in these cloned processes, and Counsel on either side of these cloned processes either as Plaintiffs’ Counsel or Defendants’ Counsel, to Nigeria Bar Association, for further disciplinary actions.

“Our client shall also not hesitate to petition the relevant security agencies for further investigations as it relates to the ceaseless and endemic abuse of Court processes, by the Ebonyi State Judiciary, under my Lord’s watch, for a thorough investigation.

“It is, therefore, given these facts above, that our client, most respectfully appeals to my Noble Lord, as the Administrative Head, of the High Court of Justice, Ebonyi State, to wade into, and take immediate actions, to stop the further abuse of court processes in the High Court of Ebonyi State, using the Chief Judge of Ebonyi State and other Judges of the High Court of Ebonyi State.

“For my Lord to immediately take steps to stop further use of your exalted office, as the Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, and other Judges of the High Court of Ebonyi State, in this unprecedent and endemic abuse of court processes in the Ebonyi State judiciary.”