Community leader accuses judge of misconduct, urges NJC penalty

Elder statesman and Ikenne, Ogun State community leader, Yinka Ogunmuyiwa has asked the National Judicial Council (NJC) to sanction a high court judge for allegedly violating the code of conduct of judicial officers.

Ogunmuyiwa made the prayers in a petition, which he wrote against the judge of the Ogun State high court, dated March 21, 2019 and addressed to the chairman of the NJC.

He alleged that the judge of Sagamu judicial division exhibited bias, hatred and malice in the open court by making derogatory remarks and false allegation against him to bring him down.

He alleged that the judge intended and succeeded in exposing him to hatred, ridicule and caused other people to avoid him.

Ogunmuyiwa said his offence against the judge was that he testified against her before the NJC’s investigation committee on October 30, 2018 on another allegation of misconduct leveled against the said judge by D.O Efuwape.

The petitioner said he sued Ogun State Water Corporation in suit marked HCS/224/2016 because of unclean public water supply and the matter was assigned to the judge.
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According to him, the judge called him a liar in the open court for testifying against her at Tribunal, accusing him of giving false evidence.

“Even before I left the court premises on October 9, 2018, I was called a liar by unknown persons within the premises of the court, relying on the words made against me by the judge.

“I am a senior citizen of this country and highly respected in my community. My name is very important to me and my family. I cannot walk freely anymore. People are asking me about this episode. I am troubled by my extended family in Ikenne-Remo and Shagamu. My children are no longer comfortable with this new image given to me by the judge,” he declared.

He regretted that similar complaint, which he made to the office of the chairman of the Ogun Judicial Service Commission and to the office of the Chief Judge of Ogun State by letter dated October 7, 2018 and a reminder dated November 27, 2018, nothing has been done despite being in receipt of those letters.

He therefore called on the NJC to look into the matter and sanction the judge. “No one is above the law and as such, must be made to face consequences of violating the code of conduct for judicial officers in this clear case of misconduct,” he prayed.