NJC appoints Justice Ayo Salami to head committee monitoring corruption cases

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has appointed retired Justice Ayo Salami as the chairman of a committee to monitor anti corruption cases in the country.

Justice Ayo Salami was controversially removed from the Bench by former president Goodluck Jonathan.

A statement signed by the spokesman of the council, Mr. Soji Oye said the decision taken on at the 82nd meeting of the Council and approved by the chairman of the NJC and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onoge.

The committee which has 15 other members will monitor and evaluates proceedings at designated courts for financial and economic crimes nationwide.

The committee will advise the Chief Justice of Nigeria on how to eliminate delay in the trial of alleged corruption cases and give feedback to the NJC on progress of cases in the designated courts, conduct background checks on judges selected for the designated courts among others

Other members of the committee includes,the chief judge of Borno state,  justice  Kashim Zannah, Justice Marsahal Umukoro, Chief Judge Delta State, President of the Nigeria bar Association, Mr. A.B Mahmoud and four former presidents of the NBA .

The chief justice has directed all Heads of Courts to compile and forward to the Council, comprehensive lists of all corruption and financial crime cases being handled by their various Courts.

He also directed them to designate in their various jurisdictions one or more Courts, as Special Courts solely for the purpose of hearing and speedily.

The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal were equally directed to fix special date in each week for hearing and determining appeals from such cases.
The constituted Committee is expected to drive the Council’s new policy on anti-corruption war.