Council recommends 28 candidates for judicial appointments, directs inclusion of Imo Acting Chief Judge in shortlist
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has sanctioned three judicial officers with one-year suspensions without pay over acts of judicial misconduct, while six others have been cautioned or issued warning letters for various breaches of judicial ethics and due process.
The disciplinary actions, taken at the Council’s 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, also include restrictions on the elevation of two of the suspended judges for three years.
The three judges suspended are Justice Hannatu Mohammed Kabir of the Nasarawa State High Court, Grand Kadi Mohammed Sani Salihu of the Jigawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and Justice Sobere Biambo of the Rivers State High Court.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, the Council said Justice Kabir was sanctioned for unlawfully detaining a litigant for 58 days over alleged disobedience of court orders without complying with the mandatory procedures for contempt proceedings.
The investigation committee found that the judge ordered the litigant’s arrest and detention without issuing and serving Forms 48 and 49 or instituting proper contempt proceedings.
It held that the alleged contempt was committed outside the court’s presence and could not lawfully be dealt with through summary proceedings. The committee also found that the judge’s action violated the litigant’s right to fair hearing. Consequently, the Council approved her suspension for one year without pay and barred her from being considered for elevation for three years.
Similarly, Grand Kadi Salihu was suspended for one year without pay for exceeding his judicial authority by reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court.
The NJC found that the Grand Kadi constituted a committee to review the judgment and subsequently assigned the matter to a Higher Sharia Court judge, who received fresh evidence and delivered another judgment.
The Council held that the process amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, which was subsequently set aside by the Jigawa State High Court. It also found that his conduct breached Rule 3.3.1 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, 2016.
The Council directed the most senior Kadi of the Jigawa State Sharia Court of Appeal to perform the functions of the Grand Kadi during the period of suspension.
The third judge, Justice Biambo of the Rivers State High Court, was sanctioned for issuing bench warrants and imposing fines on litigants in a civil dispute without following due process. According to the NJC, the judge ordered the arrest of the petitioners for alleged disobedience of an interim injunction and subsequently imposed a fine of N300,000 on each of them without instituting contempt proceedings or serving Forms 48 and 49. The investigation committee held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and could not lawfully be tried and punished summarily. The Council consequently approved his one-year suspension without pay and barred him from elevation for three years.
Beyond the suspensions, the NJC approved warning letters or cautions for six other judicial officers following investigations into complaints bordering on disregard for court orders, delayed judgments, abuse of judicial powers and breaches of due process.
Among them is Justice Bello Kawu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, who was found to have acted improperly by granting interim bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, despite a subsisting remand order issued by another judge of the same court.
The investigation committee found that Justice Kawu was aware that the remand order was due to expire at midnight on December 24, 2025, but granted interim bail on December 23, 2025, in conflict with the subsisting order. The Council directed that he be issued a warning letter and placed on its Watch List.
Two Nasarawa State High Court judges, Justices Danjuma A. Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana, were also found culpable of failing to deliver judgment in an appeal within the constitutionally prescribed 90 days.
The NJC rejected their argument that the constitutional provision did not apply to appellate courts, noting that they admitted delivering judgment outside the stipulated period without providing a satisfactory explanation for the delay. The Council directed that warning letters be issued to them for breaching Section 294 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and advised them to improve their case management.
Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court was cautioned and placed on the Council’s Watch List for entertaining an application and making orders after being informed that an appeal had already been entered at the Court of Appeal. The investigation committee held that his action amounted to disregard for the appellate court and bordered on judicial insubordination.
Similarly, Justice C. A. Ogbuagor of the Enugu State High Court was cautioned for allegedly displaying judicial impertinence, denying fair hearing and disregarding due process and court hierarchy by continuing proceedings despite a pending appeal and an application for stay of proceedings. The Council advised him to familiarise himself with the law and procedures governing appeals.
Justice Chibuike L. Azuama of the Imo State High Court was also cautioned and placed on the Watch List after the NJC found that he granted an ex parte garnishee order freezing the bank accounts of Puma Energy, a company that was not a party to the substantive suit, thereby causing it substantial losses.
Meanwhile, the Council recommended 28 candidates for appointment into various judicial positions across five states and the Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal in Plateau and Adamawa states.
The recommendations comprise 24 candidates for appointment as judges of the High Courts of Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun states, one Grand Kadi for the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, one Kadi for the Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and two judges for the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal. The candidates are expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.
In another significant decision, the NJC directed the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to include the name of the Acting Chief Judge and most senior judge of the state’s High Court, Justice Ijeoma Agugua, in the shortlist of candidates for appointment as substantive Chief Judge.
The decision followed a petition dated June 11, 2026, by Mr Bob Kay Njemanze, challenging her exclusion from the shortlist submitted by the state Judicial Service Commission.
The Council noted that although the State Judicial Service Commission has the constitutional responsibility to advise it on suitable candidates for appointment as Chief Judge, the NJC retains the authority to determine the suitability of persons presented for judicial appointments.
It consequently directed its secretariat to formally request the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to include Justice Agugua’s name in the shortlist.
The Council also considered reports on 35 petitions submitted by its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees. It dismissed 24 for lack of merit, recommended four for further investigation and placed one in abeyance because the matter was sub judice.
Two petitions against Justice B. M. Balarabe of the Kaduna State High Court and Justice Evelyn N. Anyadike were dismissed following their withdrawal by the petitioners.
A petition against Justice Peter O. Ikujuni of the Ondo State High Court was struck out because it had been leaked and published on social media, contrary to the provisions of the National Judicial Policy, 2016. Another petition against Justice Abdullahi Mika’ilu of the Niger State High Court was dismissed for want of diligent prosecution.
However, the Council resolved that investigation into a petition against Justice G. N. Ugbala of the Ebonyi State High Court should continue despite the petitioner’s notice of withdrawal.
The NJC also approved the retirement notifications of six judicial officers, including two Supreme Court justices, two state High Court judges and one Court of Appeal justice, alongside another state High Court judge. They are Justices Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa and Uwani Musa Abba Aji of the Supreme Court; Justice O. F. Omoleye of the Court of Appeal; Justice Ogechi Okehielem of the Abia State High Court; Justice Theresa Isidore Obot of the Akwa Ibom State High Court; and Justice Munir Muhammad Ladan of the Kaduna State High Court.
While Justices Saulawa, Omoleye and Okehielem have already retired, Justices Abba Aji, Obot and Ladan are due to retire on November 7, December 30 and December 31, 2026, respectively. The Council commended the retiring judicial officers for their dedicated and meritorious service to the judiciary and the nation.
It also expressed condolences to the families and the Nigerian legal community over the deaths of nine judicial officers between May 1 and September 26, 2026. The deceased include Justices Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Kano Division; Sambo Sammy Daka of the Kaduna State High Court; Josephine Efunkumbi Oyefeso of the Lagos State High Court; Musa Mohammed Dallah of the Nasarawa State High Court; Bello Muhammed Shinkafi of the Zamfara State High Court; Edem Nyong Okokon of the Cross River State High Court; Kadi Aliyu Mani Yauri of the Kebbi State Sharia Court of Appeal; Justice Dorothy Sim Inwulale of the Kaduna State Customary Court of Appeal; and Justice Legor Torbira Senewo of the Rivers State Customary Court of Appeal.
The NJC prayed for the peaceful repose of their souls.
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