August 5,2022

Contrary to report by a section of the media, the National Judicial Council (NJC), on Friday, in Abuja debunked claims that its Executive Secretary, Mr Ahmed Gambo Saleh, was involved in the alleged collection of N10 billion from the Supreme Court contractors.

Director of Information of the Council, Mr. Soji Oye  claimed that Saleh is the Secretary of the NJC and not the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court as contained in the publication by an online platform and pleaded with the media to always get their facts clear so as not to mislead the Nigerian public.

The NJC’s position as made public by Barrister Soji Oye read in part “The attention of the National Judicial Council (NJC) has been drawn to a fallacious publication by an online newspaper ‘Peoples Gazette’ accusing the Secretary of the National Judicial Council, Ahmed Gambo Saleh of involvement in “N10 billion bribe and federal racketeering.”

“The baseless publication went further to state that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating the imaginary petition written by a faceless individual, Aliyu Mohammed, on behalf of ‘Concerned Supreme Court Staff.’

“On enquiry, some credible journalists who got the petition and the NJC have discovered that there is no staff by the name Aliyu Mohammed on the Supreme Court staff list and his phone number, 07023358355 on the petition does not exist.

In the publication, it was alleged: “that the EFCC has launched a probe into the racketeering by Supreme Court Chief Registrar Ahmed Gambo Saleh, said to have gobbled up over N10 billion in bribes from Court contractors and other persons with criminal cases with the judiciary.”

“On the publication alleging collection of N10 billion from Supreme Court contractors, Ahmed Gambo Saleh is not the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court.

“In fact, Mr Saleh left the Supreme Court in 2017 and could not have been awarding contracts in any capacity on behalf of the apex court.

“It is worrisome that the writer of the fictitious petition and publication (Peoples Gazette) did not name a single contractor or group from whom the purported N10 billion was allegedly collected.

“Mr Saleh was also accused of conniving with one Mr Surajo Tanko, purported to be the son of the immediate past CJN, to sell off the residence of a Supreme Court Justice in the Aso Rock villa without the knowledge of Honourable Justice Dr I.T Muhammad GCON.

“It may interest the public to know that the said house No 10 Ibrahim Taiwo Street on the way to the Villa was once occupied by the then CJN before he relocated to his official residence