The Cross River Judicial Service Commission has suspended four magistrates and several judicial staff for alleged misconduct, corruption, and judicial malpractice.
This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the commission’s secretary, Peter Ene.
The suspended magistrates are Ushie Ushang of Port Court, Calabar; Gabriel Ebebe of the Chief Magistrate Court, Edor, and Ikom; Gabriel Agana of the Chief Magistrates Court, Effraya, Ikom; and Shadrach Orji of the Chief Magistrates Court 1, Ogoja. They were found guilty of offenses including corruption, falsification of records, judicial incompetence, drunkenness, and dereliction of duty.
The commission has suspended the four magistrates without pay, while two others received stern warnings. Additionally, three judicial staff were also suspended without pay, and a Chief Bailiff was issued a warning letter.
The commission directed affected magistrates in outstations to transfer all pending cases to their respective court registrars for further action, while the magistrate in Calabar was instructed to hand over files to the administrative chief magistrate.
Mr. Ene emphasized that the commission’s actions align with Section 3, Rule 03305 of the Cross River Public Service Rules, 2004. He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to upholding integrity and accountability in the judicial system to maintain public trust.
“The commission will not hesitate to impose appropriate sanctions on erring staff, particularly those entrusted with judicial responsibilities, to safeguard the integrity of the judicial system,” he stated.
