The Imo State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has confirmed that about 19 Judges in the state are under investigation following a revelation from the Nigerian Law School and the Council of Legal Education.
In a statement signed by the Commissions Director of Information, Frank Okafor, findings from the probe affected not only senior judges, but also younger and high flying ones.
“No one initially knew who was involved or the extent of the alterations. It came as a surprise when official records showed 19 names, cutting across different levels of the bench,” Okafor stated.
Okafor further foraged into the judicial crisis rocking the state saying that those with vested interests are behind the crisis and called them “judiciary cabal.”
He alleged that the cabal have hijacked the Judiciary and the Owerri branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, manipulating judicial appointments to favour loyalists rather than merit .
Okafor however said that the National Judicial Council (NJC) has granted approval to the state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to appoint 10 new judges to the state bench and took a swipe at Prof. Anselm Odinkalu for referring to members of the states JSC as rogues.
He said: “We are disappointed in some respected Nigerians who have chosen to wade into the sensitive issues facing the Imo judiciary without proper inquiry or facts.
“It is even more regrettable that our friend, Prof. Odinkalu, allowed himself to be used to amplify misinformation for political purposes.”