NJC suspends Rivers chief judge

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended the newly appointed Chief Judge of Rivers state, Hon. Justice P.N.C. Agumagu, as a judicial officer.
In a statement issued yesterday by NJC’s Acting Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, the NJC at its 10th Emergency Meeting, which held on March 26, 2014, under the Chairmanship of Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloma Mariam Muktar, 2014, considered the purported appointment, confirmation and Swearing-in of Hon. Justice P. N. C. Agumagu as the substantive Chief Judge of Rivers state on March 18, 2014.

It also said: “The National Judicial Council did not at any time make any recommendation to the Governor of Rivers state that Hon. Justice P. N. C. Agumagu, President, Customary Court of Appeal be appointed the substantive Chief Judge of Rivers state.”
“That the National Judicial Council does not and will not recognise Hon. Justice P.N.C. Agumagu as the Chief Judge of Rivers state.”
“In the meantime, Council in exercise of its Powers under Paragraph 21 (d) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution has suspended Hon. Justice P. N. C. Agumagu from Office as a Judicial Officer with immediate effect.”