BUSTED! Nigeria’s Supreme Court Registrar who is also the CEO of private companies

Whistleblowers, under the aegis of Eagle Transparency International, have accused one Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi of the Ondo Judicial Division, a former Registrar of the Supreme Court, of owning and running private companies, contrary to public service rules.

This was contained in a petition addressed to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the Whistleblowers.

The Whistleblowers expressed serious concerns to Mr. President over the atrocities and injustice in the judiciary sector, noting that it is “shameful and endless”.

The petitioners wondered: “How on earth could a judicial staff be CEO of private companies and at the same time be the Registrar in Supreme Court?

“Same Registrar wrote to the Supreme Court as a CEO of companies and responded as the Registrar of Supreme Court to his own companies!”

The petitioners also accused the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Federation in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation of interfering in the matter when Justice Olorundahunsi was charged to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

The petition reads further: “When charged to the Tribunal for gross misconduct as a sitting Judge, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Federation in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation is interfering?”

“Find attached a letter to that effect reference: DPPA/COMP/275/24 dated 20th June 2024 addressed to CCT Chairman on CCT/ON/01/24, between FRN and Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi.”

In the letter signed by one MB Abubakar, the DPP Director asked the CCT Chairman to halt the prosecution of Olorundahunsi.

According to the author, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice “has taken over the prosecution”.

He noted that the Code of Conduct Bureau has been directed to promptly forward the original case file to the Office of the Attorney General.

The instruction dated 20th June 2024 and entitled “RE: Case of harassment and intimidation of a judicial officer by   through the Code of Conduct Tribunal in charge no CCT/ON/01/2024A” reads in part:

“This office is in receipt of a petition dated 23rd May 2024 by Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN & Partners acting as Counsel to Hon. Justice Sunday Idowu Olorundahunsi who is the defendant with respect to the above-mentioned Charge.

“After a careful consideration of the petition and in line with the provisions of Section 174 (1) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has taken over the prosecution of CHARGE NO: CCT/ON/01/ 2024 – between Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

“Accordingly, in line with Section 105 (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the Code of Conduct Bureau has been directed to promptly forward the original case file in respect of the aforementioned charge to the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Ministry of Justice.

See a copy of the letter below:

Reacting to the letter, Eagle Eye Transparency International said the move by the office of the Attorney-General is tantamount to “sabotage”.

In the petition addressed to the President, the Whistleblowers stated: “We object to that move and consider it an act of sabotage.”

They vowed to follow the case to a logical conclusion as an interested party in the case and urged the President to ensure that undue interferences from his subjects are curtailed.

“We are not ignorant of the schemes going on to subvert the cause of Justice.

“On this note we call on your Excellency to halt the plans of sabotaging the efforts of patriotic Nigerian in the quest for justice,” the petition reads.

In a subsequent petition referenced ST24/2000/850A, dated 4th July 2024 and addressed to the Chairman National Judicial Council (NJC), the petitioners alleged “gross professional misconducts, violation of the public service rules and abuse of oath of office” against Olorundahunsi.

“This is the highest height of atrocities and injustice in the Judiciary sector. It is shameful and endless and must be revealed,” the petition reads.

The petitioners called on NJC and Mr. President to act now to halt the plans of sabotaging the efforts of patriotic Nigerian in the quest for justice.

The letter, signed by the Assistant Research Analyst Transparency International, Mr. Mustapha Bello, also demanded punitive measures to be brought to bear against Olorundahunsi.

The petition was copied to the Attorney General of the Federation and Ministry of Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS), the Chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and the Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) contacted Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi for his reaction over the report but he has yet to respond at the moment of this publication.

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