Supreme Court Justice Nominee, Adamu Galumje In An Alleged Bribery Scandal

MICHAEL AKINOLA

 

Amidst the raging graft allegation against the top echelon of the Nigerian Judiciary, another senior judge, Adamu Paul Galumje, Justice  of the Appeal Court, Sokoto Division has also been enmeshed in the web of controversy.

Justice Galumje has been accused by his kinsmen of using his position as a senior judge to manipulate court process in favour of his choice as the head of the kingmakers of his community in Kurmi in Kurmi Local Govt Area of Taraba State.

In a petition dated 17 October, 2016 to the Director-General, Department of State Service by the Ishaya Etsu/Tobi Yarafa Chieftaincy Family, and made available to P.M.EXPRESS, Galumje was accused of abusing his office and allegedly offered bribe to the former acting governor of the state and a sitting senator, Alhaji Sani Danladi to issue recognition certificate to someone not entitled to be king of the community.

“…Since May 2016, we wrote a petition to the National Judicial Council complaining about Justice Adamu Paul Galumje using his position as a judge of Appeal Court, Sokoto Division to perverse justice by manipulating the court process. He also manipulated judgement to his favour in a matter we filed against him in matter where he manipulated his way to be the chairman of the Kingmakers where in a fact he is not a member of the Royal family in Kurmi Chiefdom…’ stated the petition signed by Messrs Ibrahahim Ishaya Etsu and John Tobi Yarafab.

The petitioners also alleged that Justice Galumje induced the former acting governor with the sum of N50 million to get his approval of his choice in the chieftaincy tussle.

The Judge also accused of writing series of letters on his letterhead to the former Acting Governor Abubakar Sani now a senator on this same matter.

According to them, the case of the imposition of the king in the community comes up on 31 October in Court of Appeal, Yola, Adamawa state but Justice Galumje was said to have been boasting around that his colleagues at the appellate court would fix the matter in his favour.

President Muhammadu Buhari on 6 October nominated Justice Galumje and one other judge as Justices of the Supreme Court. The president has asked the Senate to consider and confirm their nomination.

But the petitioners stated that “based on Justice Galumje’s antecedents in perverting the course of justice, he is not a proper person for such position.”

They also alleged that the National Judicial Council has been compromised, while the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who also is from Taraba State, cannot claim not be aware of controversial nature of Justice Galumje.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the once peaceful Kurmi community was almost burnt down following the imposition of a king by the kingmakers including Justice Galumje.

“People like him should be stopped now that President Buhari is trying to clean up the judiciary and not allow their mess to continue,” the petitioners stated.

Copies of the petition below