Court orders ADC chieftain to pay N100m to two judges he accused of bias

By Taiye Agbaje

The Federal High Court on Monday ordered Mr Nkemakolam Ukandu, the National Welfare Secretary of African Democratic Party (ADC), to pay the FHC’s Chief Judge (CJ), Justice John Tsoho, and Justice Peter Lifu the sum of N50 million each for accusing them of bias.

Justice Salim Ibrahim said this in a ruling on an oral application made by Mr J. U. K. Igwe, SAN, counsel for Justice Tsoho and Justice Lifu.

He ordered that the total sum of N100 million shall be paid within 14 days of the order.

Justice Ibrahim earlier stuck out Ukandu’s case which was filed against the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Tsoho and Justice Lifu respectively for lack of diligent prosecution.

Ukandu had sued the NJC, the FHC CJ and Justice Lifu as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively, over alleged bias and disobedience to court order.

In the suit, Ukandu sought an order compelling the NJC to investigate allegations of corruption, abuse of judicial powers and bias levelled against Tsoho and Lifu.

However, neither the plaintiff nor his lawyer had appeared before Justice Ibrahim since the matter was assigned to the judge.

The judge had, on June 30, threatened to dismiss the suit for failure of the plaintiff or his lawyer to appear for proceedings.

The suit stemmed from the ADC leadership crisis involving an aggrieved member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, whose case is currently before Justice Lifu.

(NAN)