The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended seven senior judges arrested by the Department Security Service (DSS) for alleged corruption.
The judges were arrested in an earlier morning raid in October by the operatives of the DSS.
The NJC has been on fire for its refusal to suspend the arrested judges.
But in a communique issued and signed at the end of its latest meeting, by NJC’s Director of Information, Soji Oye, the council said it took the decision to avoid allowing persons under investigation to partake in presiding over judicial matters at the same time.
“Council also decided that Judicial Officers shall not be standing trial for alleged corruption related offences and be performing judicial functions at the same time,” the communique said.
“Council however decided that it will ensure that Judicial Officers who are being investigated for alleged high profile criminal offences do not perform judicial functions until their cases are concluded.”
The arrested judges include two Justices of the Supreme Court, Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro.
Others include Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court Abuja, Kabir Auta of the Kano High Court, Muazu Pindiga of Gombe High Court, Mohammed Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal in Ilorin, and the Chief Judge of Enugu State, I. A. Umezulike.
Dolapo is a writer and journalist who works with YNaija. He has interests in Christianity, politics and sports.
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