NJC suspends three judges for one year, sanctions eight others over misconduct

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended three judicial officers for one year without pay and sanctioned eight others over various acts of misconduct, including unlawful detention, abuse of judicial powers and disregard for due process.

The council also barred two of the suspended judges from elevation for three years and directed that warning letters be issued to three judicial officers over their handling of court cases.

The decisions were taken at the NJC’s 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

According to a statement published on the council’s website on Wednesday and signed by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, the affected judicial officers include 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.

Justice Kabir was suspended for one year without pay and barred from elevation for three years over the unlawful detention of a litigant for 58 days without proper contempt proceedings.

The investigation found that she ordered the litigant’s arrest and detention for allegedly disobeying court orders without issuing and serving the mandatory Forms 48 and 49 or instituting proper contempt proceedings.

The committee 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.

Similarly, Grand Kadi 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 he 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.

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.

Justice Biambo was also suspended for one year without pay and barred from elevation for three years over the issuance of bench warrants and imposition of fines on litigants in a civil dispute without following due process.

The committee found that he ordered the arrest of petitioners over 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.

It held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and should not have been summarily tried and punished.

Other judicial officers sanctioned by the council include Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court, who was cautioned over his handling of post-judgment garnishee proceedings in a suit involving First Bank of Nigeria Plc.

The committee found that he improperly entertained and granted a fresh ex parte application for a Garnishee Order Nisi on October 22, 2025, after an earlier similar application had been withdrawn and struck out.

The action was taken while other pending applications, including the bank’s application for a stay of execution, had been adjourned to November 4, 2025.

The council held that his conduct created room for justifiable suspicion.

Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT High Court was directed to receive a warning letter and placed on the council’s Watch List over his decision to grant interim bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, despite a subsisting remand order issued by another judge of the same court.

The investigation committee found that Justice Kawu knew of the earlier order, which was due to expire at midnight on December 24, 2025, but granted interim bail on December 23, 2025, in conflict with the order.

Meanwhile, Justices Danjuma A. Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana, both of the Nasarawa State High Court, were directed to receive warning letters for failing to deliver judgment in an appeal within the constitutionally prescribed 90 days.

The committee 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.

The council directed that warning letters be issued to the judges 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 committee held 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 for continuing proceedings despite a pending appeal and an application for a stay of proceedings.

The committee found that he exhibited judicial impertinence, denied fair hearing and disregarded due process and court hierarchy. It advised him to familiarise himself with the laws and procedures governing appeals.

Justice Chibuike L. Azuama of the Imo State High Court was also cautioned, placed on the council’s Watch List and advised to take his judicial responsibilities seriously.

The council 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, causing it substantial losses.

The NJC also considered 35 petitions submitted by its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees.

It dismissed 24 petitions for lack of merit, recommended four for further investigation and placed one petition in abeyance because it was sub judice.

The council further directed that investigations should continue into a petition against Justice G. N. Ugbala of the Ebonyi State High Court despite the petitioner’s notice of withdrawal.