NJC Queries Justice Danlami Senchi Over Abuja Land Deals

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has queried an Abuja High Court judge, Justice Danlami Senchi, asking him to explain within three weeks his role in shady land deals in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
A copy of the query which was signed by the chief justice of Nigeria and chairman, National Judicial Council, Justice Aloma Mariam Muktar, and made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday has Reference No. NJC/F.4/HC.25/1/231, dated December 4, 2013.

It would be recalled that an Abuja-based lawyer, Ayuba Abdul, had on November 19, 2013 filed a petition before the NJC on behalf of his client, Hajiya Habiba Abubakar, alleging that Justice Senchi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja allegedly engaged in acts unbecoming of a judicial officer.
Specifically, Ayuba said Justice Senchi had approached his client, who was a litigant for favours when the litigant’s matter was still pending before his court, operating companies using fictitious names, stressing that Justice Senchi is one and the same person as Mohammed Tanko.
According to Ayuba, having double identity amounts to a criminal offence.
The petitioner alleged that as a judicial officer like Justice Senchi was not supposed to own interest in companies, yet he has several companies. Ayuba also stated in the letter that “Our client also believes that he sold land and deprived her of her own share. Our client is also of the belief that Justice Senchi also deceived her into buying a land which title he knows to be defective.”

Recall that Senchi is the same judge who has insisted that he has jurisdiction over the case involving a Kaduna-based publisher, TukurMamuand the FCT minister and we learnt that he has already gotten two queries in file.

The legal practitioner said his client had earlier written the judge demanding for amicable settlement of the impasse without response, stressing that Justice Senchi kept telling his client that she could do whatever she deemed fit and that the Inspector General of Police is his right man and that he is untouchable.