Looters’ Trial: NJC Replaces Justice Salami, Fixes Date To Inaugurate Panel

The National Judicial Council under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, has picked a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Suleiman Galadima, as the new chairman of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee.
He is to replace Justice Ayo Salami (retired), who excused himself from the committee as the chairman, after initially accepting to serve.
The committee will be inaugurated on Wednesday by Onnoghen at the Council’s Conference Hall by 2pm.
Galadima was born October 1946 in Nasarawa State.
He attended Government College, Keffi, where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate in 1965, before he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Law in 1977 and was called to the Bar after he graduated from the Nigerian Law School in 1978.
He later received a master’s degree in Law from the University of Jos in 1985.
He joined the Anambra State Judiciary as Magistrate on July 1988 and in 1990.
“He was appointed as Attorney General and the Commissioner for Justice, Plateau State.
In May 1991, he became a High Court Judge of Plateau State.
At the creation of Nasarawa State in 1996, he was appointed as its pioneer Chief Judge of the State.
On December 9, 1998, he was appointed to the Court of Appeal and in August 2010, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He retired on October 10, 2016 at the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.
aladima is famous for his leading judgement in Shina Oketaolegun Vs. State, SC. 334A/2012, wherein he held that the Court of Appeal correctly reviewed the evidence led by both the prosecution and the defence in which he agreed that the evidence of one credible witness can justify conviction.
The Committee is made up of: Galadima; Justice Kashim Zannah, Chief Judge, Borno State; Justice P.O. Nnadi, Chief Judge, Imo State; Justice Marsahal Umukoro, Chief Judge Delta State; Justice M. L. Abimbola, Chief Judge, Oyo State; and A.B. Mahmoud, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Also on the committee are Chief Wole Olanipekun, former NBA President; Olisa Agbakoba; J.B. Daudu; Augustine Alegeh; and Dr. Garba Tetengi, a members of the NJC.
Also there are R.I. Inga; Hajara Yusuf, representative of the Ministry of Justice; Alhaji Kabiru Alkali Mohammed, representative, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria; Olanrewaju Sirajo; representative, Non-Governmental Organisations; and Ahmed Gambo Saleh, the Secretary of the NJC, who is to serve as Secretary.
It would be recalled that Onnoghen, in response to the concern expressed by members of the public on the very slow speed with which corruption cases were being heard and disposed of by Courts and the need to fast track the administration of Criminal Justice, directed the Heads of Court to set up Special Courts to speedily hear and determine corruption and financial crime cases and forward the comprehensive list to the Council.
Council approved the constitution of the Committee at its 82nd Meeting on September 27, 2017 with the following Terms of Reference: to monitor and regularly evaluate the progress and activities of courts designated to try corruption an financial/economic crime cases; Advice on Practice Directions for approval by the Chief Justice of Nigeria to be applicable in all such courts across the country with a view to eliminating procedural and administrative bottlenecks militating against speedy disposal of such cases; Advice on the trainings, re-trainings and other refresher programmes for Judges and staff of the designated courts aimed at enhancing their capacities to function effectively; Come up with an effective feedback mechanism from Heads of Courts to the Council on the activities and progress of cases before designated courts; Generally advise Council on the day-to-day strategies for the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the designated courts and on strategies for improvement in performance.