Zamfara: Shinkafi Accuses NJC Of Shielding Corrupt Judge

Shinkafi had, on March 19, 2019, petitioned the chairman of NJC and acting CJN, I .T Mohammad, where he decried the decision of the NJC not to look into his earlier petition on February 17 against the actions of Justice Mohammed Bello Shinkafi, a Judge of the Zamfara State High Court. Justice Mohammed Bello Shinkafi, it was that took the decision that allowed APC to enter the ballot on the eve of the last governorship election, an action the APGA candidate said was an abuse court process, prompting earlier petition to the NJC. In the February 17 petition titled ‘Abuse of Office and Judicial Rascality’ brought against the Zamfara State judge, the complainant had asked the NJC to sanction Justice Mohammed Bello Shinkafi. But instead of addressing the subject of the petition, the NJC referred the APGA candidate back to the Chief Judge of Zamfara State. Shinkafi said the NJC is abdicating its constitutional assigned responsibility and has violated the constitution. The petition read: “Please refer to your letter of 11th March, 2019 with Reference No: NJC/S.36/HC.ZM/4/1/22 on the above subject matter. “With utmost respect to Your Lordship, my complaint against Justice Bello Shinkafi was not on administrative grounds that the Chief Judge may have the leverage of interfering, the complaint was against a judicial officer who did not only misused his power as a judge but drastically summersaulted and made fun of the whole judicial process and adjudicative procedures. “My Lord, the appointment and discipline of a Judicial Officers are matters of Constitution and are spelt out clearly by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.” “I wish to draw His Lordship’s attention to the provisions of paragraph 21 (c) & (d) of the Third schedule of the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. By these provisions of the Constitution, the National Judicial Council has the exclusive powers to discipline any erring judicial officer. “These powers by the provision of Section 158 of the Constitution cannot be shared with any person or authority. “I am therefore dismayed and at a loss over your purported advice that I should “take the matter first to the Zamfara State Chief Judge for solution. “ How and based on what enabling rule or law? The reason for my dismay is not farfetched. Your advice is unprecedented and unconstitutional,” the petition read in part.]]>