The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, has warned the 22 newly sworn-in Judges of High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to shun corrupt acts or be ready to face dire punitive measures.
Justice Muhammad gave the warning at the swearing in of 22 new judges of High Court of the Federal Capital Territory at the Supreme Court, Abuja, on Tuesday.
“We have very powerful lens to capture and document your conduct; so be careful and take heed, or else, you may end up regretting ever being appointed a judicial officer.
“The searchlight of the National Judicial Council (NJC) beams brightly on all judicial officers across the country.
“Our radar is sophisticated enough to detect every form of corruption and wrongdoing.
The remoteness of your location of adjudication can never blur our sight on you”, the CJN warned.
Justice Muhammad reminded the new judicial officers that the Bench is neither for the prosaic, the greedy nor those with questionable character who can easily fall for a plate of porridge offered by desperate litigants.
He, therefore, charged them to rise above temptations and trials that might obstruct or even halt their rise to the pinnacle of their career.
The CJN told the judges that they have entered a lifetime covenant with God and the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that whatever they do rightly would be counted and accordingly recorded in their favour.
“Appointment to the Bench is not an appointment to wealth, vain glory, dishonest disposition or ostentatious lifestyle through corrupt acquaintances,” he said.
The CJN said the letters and words of the oath they have taken must reside in a prime place of their heart and be applied generously in the discharge of their adjudicatory duties.
Justice Muhammad further advised them to be impartial, fair to all and apply justice and equity in all their undertakings.
In addition, he said what the country needs now are judicial officers who are “calculative, honest, objective, dispassionate and humble.”
