The nomination of judicial officials to the National Judicial Council for the appointment as state judges in Abia State has been plagued by a storm of bribery allegations.
According to reports, some members of the Abia State Judicial Commission and State Ministry of Justice employees have exploited the process to swindle millions of naira from judicial officials.
The state judicial commission has currently nominated 15 applicants for transmission to the NJC, with 10 being appointed as Abia State judges.
According to sources, the Abia State Judicial Commission has devised a test for individuals interested in becoming state judges. Around 182 judicial personnel, including state judges and law professors, took the test.
Agents of the state judicial commission and officials of the state Ministry of Justice allegedly contacted the applicants after the test and demanded N15 million as a prerequisite if they wished to continue with the process.
One of the female judges who took part in the test reportedly mortgaged her family’s home in Umuahia, Abia State’s capital, to pay the amount. She later collapsed and then passed away after learning that her inclusion was not even guaranteed.
The judicial commission’s selection of applicants has been sent to the state branch of the Department of State Services for security checks. The approved applications will be sent to Abuja at a later date.
