Justice Ademola’s voluntary retirement dashes hope of Boko Haram suspects 20m

The voluntary retirement of Justice Adeniyi Ademola from the Bench of the Federal High Court of Nigeria on Thursday dashed the hope of some suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents, who were facing terrorism charges before him.



Not aware of the resignation of the Judge, earlier in the morning of Thursday, lawyers and the terrorism suspects, who are being prosecuted by the Federal Government, which Justice Ademola slated yesterday for judgment were told by court’s officials of the voluntary retirement of the Judge.

An officials of the court was heard telling lawyers whose cases were scheduled to come up on Thursday to return to the court next week for a new date.

Justice Ademola, who had slated yesterday to deliver a number of judgments, including the judgment involving Abimel Ibrahim and seven other police officers accused of been involved in Boko Haram activities in the North Eastern part of the country, has up to March 2018 to stay on the Bench of the Federal High Court.

Justice Ademola was among the eight judges, who were arrested and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS), following a “sting operation” carried out in their homes on October 8, 2016.

It was gathered that Justice Ademola dropped copies of the judgments on the Boko Haram cases at the chambers of the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court after tendering his letter of retirement to the National Judicial Council (NJC) late Wednesday evening after attending to several civil and criminal cases in his court for that day.

Justice Ademola did not state any reason in his letter dated December 6, 2017, and addressed to the Chairman of the NJC, who also doubles as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.

The letter, which was routed through the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice Adamu Abdul Kafarati reads, “I hereby voluntarily retire from the Bench of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with effect from 6th December 2017.

“This letter supercedes my previous notice of retirement from the Federal High Court of Nigeria dated September 25, 2017”, he stated in a footnote in the letter.

His voluntary retirement letter came at a time the NJC, which had been considering a petition sent against him, is having a two-day meeting which commenced on Wednesday and is expected to end on Thursday.



Nigerian Tribune gathered that Ademola’s hasty retirement was because of the hint that the 2-day NJC meeting scheduled to end on Thursday will recommend his compulsory retirement, even though he still has three months to stay on the Bench.

Justice Ademola had faced charges, bordering on gratification alongside his wife, Olubowale,‎ and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joe Agi before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Maitama.

But the trio were exonerated in a judgment delivered by the trial Judge, Justice Adamu Bello, having upheld their no-case submission early this year.

Recalled that the NJC had earlier went before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal to challenge an order given by Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 7, restraining it from investigating a petition against Justice Ademola.

In its notice of appeal dated August 14, NJC argued that Justice Tsoho erred in law when he barred it from inviting Justice Ademola to answer to allegations contained in a petition that was lodged against him.

Justice Tsoho had in the said judgement, stopped NJC from investigating Ademola over the petition that was filed by one Hon. Jenkins Duvie Giane Gwede but was subsequently withdrawn.

Tsoho maintained that NJC could no longer open investigation into the matter or invite Ademola to prove his innocence to a petition that was voluntarily withdrawn by the petitioner since 2016.

The restraining order followed a suit filed by Justice Ademola against the NJC which had already constituted a three-man panel has been constituted to commence investigation into the said petition.

The Judge had contended that allowing the NJC to go ahead with the investigation when the petition had been withdrawn, would amount to gross abuse of his rights.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the NJC, Soji Oye who was asked of the Council’s decision on the letter said, a press statement will be issued in that respect at the end of the Council’s meeting, which was on as at press time.