The Benue State House of Assembly has moved to remove Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge of Benue State, from office, citing a series of ethical violations and actions deemed incompatible with his position.
The resolution, passed by a majority vote on Tuesday, February 18th, followed a motion condemning Justice Ikpambese’s misconduct and abuse of office.
The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Chief Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, presided over the plenary, during which twenty-three members voted in favour of the Chief Judge’s removal.
The decision came after a damning report from the Ministry of Justice, which outlined several alleged offences committed by Justice Ikpambese during his tenure. According to the Majority Leader, Comr. Saater Tiseer, the Chief Judge was accused of abusing his office, mismanaging judicial finances, and engaging in corrupt practices.
Among the allegations in the report were Justice Ikpambese’s purported attempt to reverse the Benue State Electoral Law, which had been passed by the House of Assembly and assented to by the state governor.
Further accusations included the misappropriation of funds allocated to the judiciary and claims that the Chief Judge had solicited favourable judicial outcomes through political connections.
Justice Ikpambese was also accused of indirectly inciting industrial action against the state executive.
The House also accused the Chief Judge of acts of bribery and undue favouritism, particularly in the appointment of cronies to positions within the judiciary, all of which are seen as serious breaches of the ethical code expected of a judicial officer.
In response to the motion, Speaker Dajoh stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the judicial system, stating that “such unethical behaviour by a judicial officer undermines the trust and faith of the public in the judiciary and is simply unacceptable.”
In a related development, the House summoned the Director-General of Benue Homeland Security, Air Commodore Jacob Gbanwuan (Rtd.), to appear before the Assembly on March 25, 2025, to explain his controversial statements regarding the killings in Kwande Local Government Area.
This follows a motion raised by Hon. Thomas Dugeri, representing Kwande West, who accused the DG of publicly denying reports of attacks by armed herdsmen in the area.
Dugeri’s motion was supported by other members, including Hon. Anyor Mato of Kwande East and Hon. Becky Orpin of Gboko West, who voiced concerns over the DG’s comments, which had sparked public outrage.
The House also passed a resolution requesting that Governor Samuel Ortom dismiss the entire technical crew of Lobi Stars Football Club for what was described as gross misconduct.
Hon. Alfred Emberga, representing Makurdi North, argued that despite significant state investment in the team, Lobi Stars’ performance had been subpar, culminating in a narrow escape from relegation.
He called for the immediate removal of the technical crew, a motion seconded by Hon. Bendoo Ipusu of Katsina-Ala.
The plenary also saw the first reading of the Benue State Symbol and Anthem Bill, an executive bill aimed at formalising the state’s symbols and anthem.
