NJC Suspends Three Judges Without Pay for Alleged Misconduct

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended three judicial officers for one year without pay for alleged misconduct, abuse of judicial powers and disregard for due process.
This was contained in a statement issued by Mr Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, Deputy Director (Information) of the NJC on Thursday in Abuja.
The council has the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as chairman.
The council also issued warning letters to three judicial officers and cautioned eight others.
It said the council considered nine investigation reports concerning petitions against some judicial officers over their handling of some cases and imposed additional restrictions on the elevation of two of those suspended.
The suspended officers are Justices Hannatu Kabir of Nasarawa State High Court, Grand Kadi Mohammed Salihu of Jigawa Sharia Court of Appeal and Sobere Biambo of Rivers High Court.
The council said that Kabir was suspended for one year without pay and barred from nomination for elevation for three years over the unlawful detention of a litigant for 58 days without proper contempt proceedings.
The Investigation Committee, it added, found that she ordered the litigant’s arrest and detention for alleged disobedience of court orders without the issuance and service of the mandatory Forms 48 and 49 or the institution of proper contempt proceedings.
It held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and could not lawfully be summarily tried and punished.
It also found that the action violated the litigant’s right to fair hearing.
The NJC said that Salihu was suspended for one year without pay over his involvement in reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court.
The committee found that the Grand Kadi exceeded his authority by constituting a committee to review the judgment and subsequently assigning the matter to a Higher Sharia Court Judge, who received fresh evidence and delivered another judgment.
It 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 the act to constitute a violation of Rule 3.3.1 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, 2016.
Justice Biambo, the NJC said was suspended for one year without pay and a three-year restriction on elevation over the issuance of bench warrants and imposition of fines on litigants in a civil dispute without due process.
“The committee found that he ordered the arrest of the petitioners for alleged disobedience of an interim injunction and subsequently imposed fines of N300,000 on each without the institution of contempt proceedings or service of Forms 48 and 49.
”It held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and ought not to have been summarily tried and punished”, the NJC said.
However, Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court was cautioned in one of the petitions over his handling of post-judgment garnishee proceedings in a suit involving First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
It held that he improperly entertained and granted a fresh ex parte application for a Garnishee Order Nisi on Oct. 22, 2025, after an earlier similar application had been withdrawn and struck out.
This, council said, was while other pending applications, including the bank’s application for stay of execution, had been adjourned to November 4, 2025.
The committee held that his action created room for justifiable suspicion.
The NJC noted that two petitions against Justice B. M. Balarabe of the Kaduna State High Court and Justice Evelyn N. Anyadike were dismissed having been withdrawn.
It said that one petition against Justice Peter O. Ikujuni of the Ondo State High Court was struck out for being leaked and published in social media in violation of Paragraphs 2.2.4 and 2.2.8 of the National Judicial Policy, 2016.
The petition against Justice Abdullahi Mika’ilu of the Niger State High Court was dismissed for want of diligent prosecution.
The council, however, resolved that investigation should continue in a petition against Justice G. N. Ugbala of the Ebonyi State High Court despite notice of withdrawal by the petitioner.
The council also considered reports on 35 petitions submitted by its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees.
It dismissed 24 petitions for lack of merit, recommended four for further investigation and put one petition in abeyance for being sub judice.
It also approved the issuance of caution and warning to six judicial officers including placement on its Watch List for six months.
The affected officers are Justice Bello Kawu of FCT High Court, Justices Danjuma A. Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana of Nasarawa State High Court and Justice Mohammed Zubairu of FCT High Court.
Others are Justices C. A. Ogbuagor of Enugu State High Court and Chibuike L. Azuama Imo State High Court.
The investigation committee found that Justice Kawu knew of the earlier order, which was due to expire at midnight on Dec. 24, 2025, but granted an interim bail on Dec. 23, 2025, in conflict with it.
The council found merit in the petition against Kawu over his grant of an interim bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, inspite of a subsisting remand order issued by another Judge of the same court.
It consequently directed that Kawu should be issued a warning letter and placed on its Watch List.
The committee said it found merit in a petition against Justices Danjuma A. Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana of Nasarawa State High Court over their failure to deliver judgment in an appeal within the constitutionally prescribed 90 days.
The council rejected their arguments that the constitutional provision did not apply to appellate courts, noting their admission that judgment was delivered outside the stipulated period without a satisfactory explanation for the delay.
It adopted the report and directed that warning letters be issued to them for the breach of Section 294 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. They are advised to be more diligent in their case management.
The council adopted the committee’s finding that Justice Mohammed Zubairu of FCT High Court acted improperly by entertaining an application and making orders after being informed that an appeal had already been entered at the Court of Appeal.
The committee held that his action amounted to disregard for the appellate court and bordered on insubordination and found his defence untenable.
It consequently directed that he should be cautioned and placed on its Watch List.
For Justice C. A. Ogbuagor of Enugu State High Court, the committee found that Justice Ogbuagor exhibited judicial impertinence, denied fair hearing and disregarded due process and court hierarchy by continuing proceedings despite a pending appeal and an application for stay of proceedings.
Consequently, it cautioned and advised him to familiarise himself with the law and procedures governing appeals.
The council directed that Justice Chibuike Azuama should be cautioned and placed on its Watch List and advised to take his judicial responsibilities seriously after finding that he granted an ex parte Garnishee Order freezing the bank accounts of Puma Energy, a non-party to the substantive suit, thereby causing the company substantial losses.
The council, thereafter, recommended the appointment of a Grand Kadi for Plateau and 27 other candidates as Judicial Officers.
Of the 28 candidates recommended, 24 were for appointment as Judges of the High courts of Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun States.
One candidate, it added, was recommended for appointment as Grand Kadi of the Plateau Sharia Court of Appeal, while another was recommended as Kadi of the Adamawa Sharia Court of Appeal.
Two others were recommended for appointment as judges of the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.
The council also directed the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to include the name of the most senior Judge of the State High Court, the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ijeoma Agugua, in the list of candidates for appointment as substantive Chief Judge of the State.
The decision followed the consideration of a petition dated June 11, by Mr. Bob Kay Njemanze, who challenged the exclusion of Justice Agugua from the shortlist submitted by the Imo State Judicial Service Commission.
In considering the petition, the council noted that although the State Judicial Service Commission has the constitutional responsibility to advise the NJC on suitable candidates for appointment as Chief Judge, the Council retains the authority to determine the suitability of persons presented to it.
It consequently directed its Secretariat to formally request the Imo JSC to include the name of Agugua in the shortlist.
On retirements, the council also approved the retirement notifications of six judicial officers.
The officers are Justices Ibrahim Saulawa, who retired on Sept. 29, 2026 and Uwani Abba- Aji due to retire on Nov. 7, 2026 both of the Supreme Court.
Others are Justices O. F. Omoleye of the Court of Appeal, who retired on Oct. 6, 2026 and Ogechi Okehielem of Abia State High Court, who voluntarily retired on Sept. 15, 2026.
The rest are Justices Theresa Isidore Obot of Akwa Ibom High Court who retired voluntarily on Dec. 30, 2026 and Munir Ladan of Kaduna State High Court, due to retire voluntarily on Dec. 31, 2026.
The council expressed sadness over the death of nine judicial officers between May 01 and Sept. 26.