The National Judicial Council has suspended three judicial officers for one year without pay over various acts of misconduct, including unlawful detention of litigants, reopening of concluded cases and imposition of fines without due process.
The council also barred two of the judges from elevation for three years and issued warning letters and cautions to six other judicial officers over breaches of judicial conduct.
The decisions were reached at the NJC’s 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and sighted by our correspondent on Thursday, the council named the suspended judicial officers as 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.
Kabir was sanctioned for ordering the detention of a litigant for 58 days over alleged disobedience of court orders without complying with the required contempt proceedings.
The NJC said, “The Investigation Committee 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 explained that the alleged contempt took place outside the court’s presence and could not legally be handled through summary trial and punishment.
“The committee also found that the action violated the litigant’s right to fair hearing,” the statement added.
The council consequently approved her suspension without pay for one year and prohibited her from being nominated for elevation for three years.
Similarly, Salihu was suspended for one year without pay over his role in reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court.
The NJC said its investigation found that the Grand Kadi exceeded his powers by setting up a committee to review the judgment before assigning the case to a Higher Sharia Court judge, who admitted fresh evidence and delivered another judgment.
“The committee 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,” the council stated.
It added that the conduct violated Rule 3.3.1 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, 2016.
The NJC directed the most senior Kadi of the Jigawa State Sharia Court of Appeal to assume the functions of the Grand Kadi throughout the suspension.
Biambo was also suspended for one year without pay and barred from elevation for three years following his handling of a civil dispute involving the issuance of bench warrants and fines against litigants without due process.
According to the council, the judge ordered the arrest of the petitioners over alleged disobedience of an interim injunction and subsequently imposed a N300,000 fine on each of them without initiating contempt proceedings or serving Forms 48 and 49.
“The committee held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and ought not to have been summarily tried and punished,” the NJC said.
Meanwhile, the council cautioned Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT High Court over his handling of proceedings involving former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Kawu was found to have granted interim bail to Malami despite an existing remand order issued by another judge of the same court.
The NJC said the investigation committee established that Kawu was aware that the earlier order was scheduled to expire at midnight on December 24, 2025, but granted interim bail on December 23, 2025, contrary to the subsisting directive.
The council consequently directed that a warning letter be issued to the judge and that he be placed on its Watch List.
It also approved warning letters for Justices Danjuma Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana of the Nasarawa State High Court for failing to deliver judgments in appeals within the constitutionally prescribed 90-day period.
The NJC rejected their defence that the constitutional provision did not apply to appellate courts.
It stated, “The committee 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.”
The council said the judges’ actions breached Section 294 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and urged them to improve their case management and diligence.
Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court was also cautioned for entertaining an application and issuing orders after being notified that an appeal had already been entered at the Court of Appeal.
The NJC said the committee found that his action “amounted to disregard for the appellate court and bordered on insubordination.”
Similarly, Justice C. A. Ogbuagor of the Enugu State High Court was cautioned over allegations of denying fair hearing and disregarding due process and the hierarchy of courts by continuing proceedings despite a pending appeal and an application for stay of proceedings.
Justice Chibuike Azuama of the Imo State High Court was also cautioned and placed on the council’s Watch List after granting an ex parte garnishee order freezing the bank accounts of Puma Energy, a company that was not a party to the substantive suit.
The NJC said the order resulted in substantial financial losses for the company.
In a separate development, the council recommended 28 candidates for appointment as judicial officers across five states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The nominees comprise 24 candidates for High Court positions in Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun states, one candidate for Grand Kadi of the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, one for Kadi of the Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and two candidates for the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.
The NJC said, “All recommended candidates are expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.”
The council also directed the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to include the name of the state’s Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ijeoma Agugua, in the shortlist for appointment as substantive Chief Judge.
The directive followed a petition by Bob Kay Njemanze, who challenged her exclusion from the list submitted by the commission.
The NJC acknowledged that the State Judicial Service Commission was constitutionally empowered to advise it on suitable candidates but maintained that it had the final authority to assess the suitability of those recommended.
It therefore directed its secretariat to formally request the commission to add Agugua’s name to the shortlist.
