UPDATE: CJN to quiz 7 Chief Judges Sept 6 over conflicting orders

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Mohammad will on Monday grilled seven Chief Judges over conflicting court orders that emanated from their various states.

Although only six of them were initially summoned by the CJN over the issue, the summoned has equally been extended to the Chief Judge of Delta State.

Those be quizzed are the Chief Judges of Rivers, Cross River, Anambra, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi and Delta states.

It was learnt that Justice Mohammad has already directed them to come a long with the records of proceedings in all the suits from which conflicting exparte orders emanated.

The action of the CJN is to reset the anti-corruption efforts of the Tanko leadership and entrench a new culture of accountability in the judicial system.

Justice Muhammad is also likely to meet with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association in the course of the week, over the matter.

Meanwhile, the Director of Information, National Judicial Council (NJC), Mr Soji Oye confirmed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.

The CJN who is the Chairman of the National Judicial Council NJC had on August 30, issued the summons to the Chief Judges.

A copy of the summons directed the affected Chief Judges to appear before him as a prelude to the larger one by the NJC to explain what warranted issuance of conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

Justice Muhammad was specifically irked by the huge embarrassment caused the Nigeria’s judiciary by the actions of those who issued the conflicting orders upon ex-parte applications by some political parties.

The summons read in part “My attention has been drawn to media reports to the effect that some Courts of coordinate jurisdiction were granting conflicting Exparte Orders on the same subject matter.

“It has become expedient for me to invite you for a detailed briefing on the development.

“This is even more compelling having regard to earlier NJC Warning to judicial officers on the need to be circumspect in granting Exparte applications”.