Judicial Malfeasance: Bench Cleansing Looms as NJC Probes 256 Judges

The National Judicial Council has launched one of the most sweeping disciplinary actions in Nigeria’s judicial history, placing more than 256 judges under scrutiny over alleged judicial misconduct and performance-related infractions.

The development comes amid intensified reforms led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who has repeatedly vowed to restore integrity, accountability, and public confidence in the judiciary.

As part of the latest crackdown, the NJC suspended two High Court judges for one year without pay over misconduct and violations of the constitutional right to fair hearing.

The Council’s actions followed resolutions reached during its 111th meeting held on May 13, where members considered reports from its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees covering 98 separate petitions against judicial officers across the country.

Out of the petitions reviewed, 68 were dismissed for lacking merit, four judges were cautioned, one judge received a final warning, while 11 petitions were recommended for deeper investigation.

The NJC also adopted reports suspending proceedings in some cases because the matters were already before the courts.

Justice Kekere-Ekun had declared zero tolerance for corruption shortly after assuming office as the 23rd substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria in September 2024.

Since then, she has introduced several reforms aimed at sanitising the judiciary, including stricter procedures for appointing judges and mandatory publication of shortlisted candidates to allow public scrutiny of their integrity.

The anti-corruption push gained further momentum after President Bola Tinubu publicly warned that corruption within the judiciary threatens democracy and weakens public trust in governance.

Responding to growing public criticism of the courts, the CJN acknowledged concerns about corruption, delays, and external influence within parts of the judiciary, insisting that the institution could no longer consider itself beyond scrutiny.

The NJC also rejected appeals filed by eight judges from the Imo State Judiciary seeking reversal of their compulsory retirement over age falsification allegations.

The affected judges were among judicial officers earlier sanctioned for allegedly altering official records to unlawfully extend their years in service.

Meanwhile, the Council reinstated Justice T. I. Nze of the Customary Court of Appeal after he presented what the NJC described as credible evidence before its review committee.

The Council further referred a petitioner to the Inspector-General of Police for prosecution over alleged perjury and reported five lawyers to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for allegedly filing frivolous petitions against judicial officers.