Nasarawa Suspends Magistrate Gwahemb Over Allegations Of Compromised Powers, Bias, & Ordering Unlawful Detention
The Judicial Service Commission in Nasarawa State has suspended a Chief Magistrate, Vincent W. Gwahemba, over allegations of gross misconduct.
In a letter dated January 30th, 2024, the Commission’s Executive Secretary Yahaya Shafa stated that Gwahemba was directed to provide responses within 24 hours to allegations of abuse of magisterial powers leveled against him by lawyer J.S. Okutepa SAN.
The letter noted that pending determinations into the misconduct allegations, Gwahemba has been interdicted with immediate effect. He is expected to make representations before the Judicial Commission on a date to be later communicated.
The correspondence referenced complaint number S/JSC/AD/OFF/12/VOL. XV/XXX and was copied to the Chief Registrar of the state’s High Court of Justice.
The probe comes on the heels of similar suspensions of two magistrates a few days earlier over alleged granting of questionable court orders.
Chief J.S. Okutepa SAN had written a petition to the Chief Judge of Nasarawa State accusing Chief Magistrate Vincent Gwahemba of professional misconduct and gross abuse of judicial powers.
Okutepa leveled the allegations in his capacity as counsel to one Mr. Benjamin Joseph. He alleged that Gwahemba had issued a warrant for Joseph’s arrest based on a purported criminal defamation complaint filed by Zinox Technologies Limited before the said magistrate in Karu.
However, Okutepa claimed the arrest warrant was obtained and executed without serving his client the complaint or taking cognizance, contrary to due process. He further argued that Joseph had been defending a similar charge by Zinox at the FCT High Court.
The senior advocate narrated that armed policemen violently arrested Joseph after his cross-examination at the FCT High Court on January 25th. Joseph was then detained overnight at SARS office in Abuja before being taken to Karu the next day.
Upon inquiring from Gwahemba, Okutepa discovered no formal complaint was filed against his client before the dramatic arrest. He thus pleaded for Joseph’s release pending proper arraignment, but the magistrate declined.
Okutepa said Vincent’s actions indicated compromised powers and bias, also accusing him of unlawfully ordering continued detention outside his jurisdiction in Lafia. The senior lawyer urged the chief judge to investigate the professional misconduct claims and dispel notions that judicial officials acted unethically in Nasarawa.
The petition, copied January 26th, cast doubts on the ethics and integrity of Gwahemba while spotlighting abuse of power and human rights violations. It remained unclear what actions the Nasarawa judicial authorities would take regarding the weighty claims against the embattled chief magistrate.
The latest interdiction signals the Judicial Commission’s continued efforts to boost judiciary transparency and ethics compliance through stern accountability measures.
