THE National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended Justice Abubakar Mahmud Talba of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court from office on the ground of an improper exercise of discretion in granting Mr. John Yakubu Yusuf N750,000 option of fine in place of a two-year jail term upon his confession that he stole N32 Billion Police Pension Fund.
A electronic statement released by the council’s acting Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, disclosed: “The National Judicial Council (NJC), under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, GCON, at its meeting, which was held on 24th and 25th April, 2013 suspended Hon. Justice Abubakar Mahmud Talba of the FCT High Court from office for a period of twelve months without pay.”
The statement said “Hon. Justice Talba was suspended from office sequel to the findings by the council that he did not exercise his discretion judicially and judiciously with regard to the sentences he passed on one of the accused persons, Mr. John Yakubu Yusuf in the Police Pension case of FRN Vs Esai Dangabar and five others.”
The NJC, at its emergency meeting, which was held on February 20, this year set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the allegations levelled against Hon. Justice Talba in the Police Pension case of FRN Vs Esai Dangabar and five others.
But the Council observed that “the Charges that had been brought by EFCC against Mr. John Y. Yusuf in the First Charge Sheet containing Counts 1 to 10 under Section 315 of the Penal Code that provides a maximum jail term of 14 years and fine, were dropped by the EFCC Counsel and substituted with another Charge Sheet with only three Counts under Section 309 of the Penal Code that moulds a lesser punishment of two years imprisonment with or without option of fine.”
He said “The National Judicial Council, in the exercise of its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, also issued serious warning to Hon. Justice Talba to desist from unreasonable exercise of judicial discretion in all matters brought before him.”
The statement also disclosed that it considered the petition against Hon. Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court, who is to retire from service on May18, this year and “decided to seriously warn him.”