NJC Suspends Three Judges for One Year, Disciplines Six Others

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended three judges for one year without pay over various acts of judicial misconduct, including unlawful detention of litigants, reopening concluded cases and imposing fines without following due process.

The council also barred two of the suspended judges from elevation for three years and issued warning letters and cautions to other judicial officers over their handling of court proceedings.

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.

The affected judges 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.

Justice Kabir was suspended for ordering the detention of a litigant for 58 days over alleged disobedience of court orders without initiating proper contempt proceedings or issuing and serving the mandatory Forms 48 and 49.

The council said its investigation committee found that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court's presence and could not lawfully be tried and punished summarily. It also held that the judge's action violated the litigant's right to fair hearing.

Grand Kadi Salihu was sanctioned for exceeding his authority by reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court. The investigation found that he 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 NJC said the process amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment of a competent court, which was later set aside by the Jigawa State High Court. It directed the most senior Kadi of the state's Sharia Court of Appeal to perform the Grand Kadi's functions during the suspension.

Justice Biambo was suspended for issuing bench warrants and imposing fines on litigants in a civil dispute without following contempt procedures. He had ordered their arrest over alleged disobedience of an interim injunction and imposed fines of ₦300,000 on each without serving the required forms or instituting proper proceedings.

Meanwhile, Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT High Court was cautioned 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 an existing remand order issued by another judge.

The council also approved warning letters for Justices Danjuma Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana of the Nasarawa State High Court for delivering judgment in an appeal outside the constitutionally prescribed 90-day period.

Other judicial officers cautioned included Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court, Justice C. A. Ogbuagor of the Enugu State High Court and Justice Chibuike Azuama of the Imo State High Court. Azuama was also 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.

In a related development, the NJC recommended 28 candidates for judicial appointments across Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

The council also directed the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to include the name of Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ijeoma Agugua, in the shortlist for appointment as substantive Chief Judge of the state.