Nigerian Judge recuses himself from lawsuit against CBN after in-law announced appearance for defendant

Benedict Kanyip, President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, has recused himself from hearing cases filed by 62 former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials who were recently disengaged from service.

Kanyip stepped down from the cases after a lawyer representing the CBN, who announced an appearance during Tuesday’s court session, was revealed to be his in-law.

The 62 ex-staff members had individually sued the CBN, contesting the termination of their appointments via a letter titled “REORGANISATION,” which took effect on May 24, 2024. They argued that the termination breached the provisions of the CBN Act 2007, as well as the bank’s Human Resource Policies and Procedure Manual (HRPPM). The claimants described the termination as “arbitrary, unlawful, null, and void.”

In their suits, they sought several reliefs, including a declaration that their employment contracts remain valid and binding. They also requested an order to set aside their termination and to reinstate them to their previous positions or higher roles they might have attained if the terminations had not occurred. Furthermore, they demanded payment of all salaries, allowances, and other entitlements they would have earned had their employment not been terminated.

At Tuesday’s session, 31 of the 62 cases were scheduled for hearing, while the remaining 31 were listed for Wednesday. The claimants’ counsel also submitted a motion to consolidate the cases.

When the first suit was called, Ola Olanipekun announced his appearance for the claimants. For the CBN, Obafemi Agaba informed the court that a consortium of law firms, including Damian Dodo & Co., would represent the bank.

At this point, Kanyip disclosed that Damian Dodo was his in-law, stating that he felt uncomfortable presiding over the matter due to the potential conflict of interest. He subsequently announced his recusal and stated that the cases would be reassigned to another judge for adjudication.

The judge also sought the opinion of the claimants’ counsel on the matter before officially stepping down.