The National Judicial Council, NJC, has dismissed four separate petitions filed against Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja over judgements he delivered on Rivers State political matters.
The petitions written to the NJC were predicated on allegations that the judge was induced with $1 million, a bulletproof car and a gift of a plot of land in the discharge of his judicial functions.
The chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Chief Emeka Beke, is one of those who authored the petitions.
However, after the appearance of the judge before the NJC probe panel and the blunt refusal of the petitioners to show up to establish their allegations, it was held that the petitions were unsubstantiated and could not be relied upon.
The NJC report on the petitions obtained by judiciary journalists read in part: “The Council deliberated on 4 petitions against Hon. Justice Peter O. Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, as follows:
“Petition by Mr. Douglas W. Chukwu, the Secretary of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, against Hon. Justice Lifu was discountenanced, as the petitioner, who had earlier indicated interest to participate in the hearing of his petition, failed, neglected and refused to appear before the Committee