Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia returns as high court judge four years after her dismissal

Four years after Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia was dismissed as a judge of the federal high court, the National Judicial Council (NJC) has reinstated her.

Her reinstatement is coming three years after the court had cleared her of corruption preferred against her that led to the dismissal.

This is contained in a December 5 circular sent to all judges of the federal high court.

According to the circular signed by John Tsoho, chief judge of the federal high court, the reinstatement takes immediate effect.

It stated, “Your Lordships are by this circular letter notified that at the meeting of the National Judicial Council held on the 1st of December, 2022, the council reinstated the Hon. Justice R. N. Ofili-Ajumogobia as a judicial officer.

“The reinstatement takes instant effect and there shall be consequential posting.”

The chief registrar of the court as well as the director of library and deputy director of finance and accounts were copied in the memo.

In 2016, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the judge on charges bordering on money laundering and breach of public trust.

However, Hakeem Oshodi, judge of a Lagos high court, struck out corruption charges against her.

In his ruling in April 2019, Oshodi struck out the 31 counts bordering on alleged perversion of the course of justice, unlawful enrichment and forgery on the grounds that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit.

The charges were filed by the EFCC against Ofili-Ajumogobia and Godwin Obla.

In 2018, the NJC dismissed Ofili-Ajumogobia from the service of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) on the grounds of alleged judicial misconduct.

Dissatisfied, she instituted a suit before Inyang Ekwo, judge of an Abuja federal high court, challenging the process adopted by the fact-finding committee of the NJC that recommended her dismissal.

She prayed the court to declare her dismissal unconstitutional, null and void.