Rivers: Justice Lifu cleared of $1m, bullet-proof car, land bribe allegations

Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja has been cleared of allegations of taking $1 million, a bulletproof car and a gift of a plot of land to alter his judgment in the ongoing Rivers State political crisis.

Justice Lifu was exonerated by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and cleared of four separate petitions, one of which was authored by the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Emeka Beke.

The NJC panel probe, however, dismissed the corruption allegations against the judge after the petitioners refused to appear to prove their case.

The claims by the petitioners were described as unsubstantiated and should not be relied upon.

The NJC report read in part, “The Council deliberated on 4 petitions against Hon. Justice Peter O. Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, as follows:

“Petition by Mr. Douglas W. Chukwu, the Secretary of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, against Hon. Justice Lifu was discountenanced, as the petitioner, who had earlier indicated interest to participate in the hearing of his petition, failed, neglected and refused to appear before the Committee.

“The Council also finds that the allegations of inducement to the tune of $1 million, a bullet-proof car and gift of a plot of land to Hon. Justice Lifu by Chief Emeka Beke, Chairman, All Progressive Congress (APC), Rivers State, were not substantiated in any form.

“It was also found that the same parties who appeared before the High Court in Rivers State also appeared before Hon. Justice Lifu at the Federal High Court in Abuja but failed to disclose or bring to the notice of the Hon. Judge the existence of a sister case at Rivers State High Court.

“The Council noted that the acts of misconduct alleged were actually perpetrated by the petitioners who filed the case at the Rivers State High Court, after the case at the Federal High Court, Abuja had been instituted, suggesting forum shopping.

“Council finds that Hon. Justice Lifu neither exhibited personal interest in the matter nor misconducted himself in the procedure and noted that the complaints contained in the petitions are now subject of appeal by the petitioners.

“Similarly, Council dismissed the two petitions by Abednego Oli Benjamin, Chairman, Boot Party, Rivers State Chapter, against Hon. Justice Lifu, as it finds the allegations of bribery and other corrupt practices against the Subject Judge were unsubstantiated.

“It also finds that there is no proof of misconduct in the ex parte orders made by the Subject Judge. Council also noted that the ex parte orders are now the subject of appeals.

“On the petition by Dr. G. M. Giles-West, Clerk, Rivers State House of Assembly, against Hon. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, the Council finds that the petition was not supported with a verifying affidavit and was therefore discountenanced.”

In the same vein, the Council resolved that legal practitioners who, by themselves or in collusion with litigants, write frivolous petitions to blackmail the judicial officers will be reported to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, or the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, LPPC, for appropriate action.

Meanwhile, NJC has set up seven committees to investigate allegations of judicial misconduct against other judicial officers.