Inside business
Breakdowns of offences show that nine altered their dates of birth in their official records to gain undue advantage of staying longer in service, and Justice T. N. Nzeukwu made himself available to be sworn in as acting Chief Judge of Imo State High Court knowing full well that he was number four in the hierarchy of Judges of the Imo State Judiciary. This violates Section 271 (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
The nine Judges found to have falsified their records comprised five High Court Judges and four Judges of the Customary Court of Appeal, Imo State.
They are Hon Justice M. E. Nwagboso (High Court), Hon Justice B. C. Iheka (High Court), Hon Justice K. A. Leaweanya (High Court), Hon Justice Okereke Chinyere Ngozi (High Court), Hon Justice Innocent Chidi Ibeawuchi (High Court), Hon Justice Tennyson Nze (Customary Court of Appeal), Hon Justice Ofoha Uchenna (Customary Court of Appeal), Hon Justice Everyman Eleanya (Customary Court of Appeal), and Hon Justice Rosemond Ibe (Customary Court of Appeal).
Hon. Justice T. N. Nzeukwu was sanctioned for making himself available to be sworn into office as acting Chief Judge of Imo State.The recommendations, including the appointments of two Judges as Heads of Court for Ekiti and Yobe States, respectively, were made on Wednesday at the 109th meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC) presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun. They are contained in a statement by Kemi Babalola Ogedengbe, Deputy Director (Information) of the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The Heads of Court are: Hon. Justice Adekanye Lekan Ogunmoye, Chief Judge, Ekiti State and Hon. Kadi Abba Mammadi as Grand Kadi, Yobe State.
Similarly, the Council has also recommended Mainasara Ibrahim Kogo Umar to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for appointment as Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The recommendations are made after careful consideration of various public complaints made against shortlisted candidates for various positions and a rigorous interview by an 8-member Interview Committee of the Council in line with the 2023 Revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for Appointment of Judicial Officers.
The remaining successful 18 candidates who were recommended for appointment as Judges for different Jurisdictions are Edu Glory Bassey, Irem Melody Bassey, Ojikutu Adebayo Julius, Adewole Adejumoke Oluwatoyin and Adebo Oluyemisi Olukemi.
Others are Garba Sirajo Aliyu, Bashir Rabi, Abdullahi Nasiru, Ibrahim Jibril, Muhammad Sanusi Magami, Shaa’ban Mansur, Badamasi Kabir Adam, Ogodo Lynda Nneka, Dikko Fadila Muhammad, Abdulrahman Shamsudden Yammama, Abdullahi Maryham Umaru and Mohammed Abubakar Dikko.
The council approved a new policy at its 108th Meeting, held on 29 and 30 April 2025, to publish the names of candidates for consideration for appointment as Judicial Officers and invited public input.
The council received 86 public comments and complaints, and 73 of them were favourable, representing 85 per cent, while 13 were adverse, representing 15 per cent.
However, out of the 13 complaints, 5 had no accompanying verifying affidavits in breach of the publication guidelines and were not considered.
Given the Council’s resolution at its 27th Emergency Meeting held on 3 February 2025, relating to the appointment of the Chief Judge, Ekiti State, the Council did not consider the three complaints relating thereto.
Five complaints, of which four were dismissed and one upheld, were considered against the appointment of the High Courts of Plateau and Kano States, and the Sharia Courts of Appeal of Zamfara and Katsina States.
Meanwhile, the Council has approved the voluntary retirement of Justice Babatunde Ademola Bakre of the Ogun State High Court and Justice H. O. Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court.
The President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Imo State, Justice V. U. Okorie, who chaired the Commission that nominated Hon. Justice Nzeukwu as acting Chief Judge, was, however, absolved, having dissented on record against the recommendation to appoint Hon. Justice T. N. Nzekwu as acting Chief Judge.
Council, however, reiterated its earlier direction to the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, to swear in the most Senior Judge of the State as the acting Chief Judge.
Council decided following the reports of its Investigation Committee on allegations of age falsification against eighteen (18) Judges of the Imo state judiciary on one hand and the queries issued to Hon. Justices V. U. Okorie and T. N. Nzeukwu.
The Council, however, dismissed, for want of merit, similar allegations against three Judges of the State High Court whose dates of birth were found to bear no discrepancy.
Six High Court Judges of the State, whose dates of birth either had discrepancies but with acceptable explanations or with discrepancies arising from genuine correction of their dates of birth to their disadvantage, were also exonerated.
The Judges whose dates of birth were found to bear no discrepancy are Justice I. O. Agugua (High Court), Justice C. A. Ononeze-Madu (High Court), and Justice L. C. Azuama (High Court).
The two Judges given a clean bill of health, owing to the provision of an acceptable explanation for discrepancies in their dates of birth, are Justice Vincent I. Onyeka (High Court) and Justice Vivian O. B. Ekezie (High Court) and were also directed to maintain the date of birth supplied by the Council of Legal Education in their official records.
Four other Judges were absolved because they genuinely corrected their dates of birth to their disadvantage. They are Justice P. U. Nnodum (High Court), Justice Alma Ngozi Eluwa (High Court), Justice Matthew Chinedu Ijezie (High Court) and Justice Ononogbo Chidi Linus (High Court).
The Council has also reiterated its earlier direction to the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, to appoint the most Senior Judicial Officer as the acting Chief Judge of the Imo State High Court.
Council, in further deliberation, barred a Judge of the National Industrial Court, Hon. Justice Isaac J. Essien, from being considered for promotion to a Higher Court for three years due to misconduct.
Council found that Hon. Justice Essien wrongly ordered the confiscation of over N1 billion belonging to the Nasarawa State Government and its Local Government Councils, despite being aware that there was a pending appeal and a pending application for stay of execution.
Council also noted that he refused to step aside from the case after the Nasarawa State Government raised concerns about possible bias.
Hon. Justice Essien was a former staff member of the State University, which owed him gratuity, and he had earlier demanded payment using the official letterhead of the Court — a clear breach of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.
Council further criticised him for personally visiting the Court of Appeal registry to confirm if an appeal had been filed in the case — an action considered highly inappropriate for a Judge.
His Lordship was found to have violated several rules in the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and was reprimanded and barred from elevation to a higher judicial office for three years.
Council also considered the reports of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees, which contained a total number of 30 petitions against various Judicial Officers. Four (4) Committees were empanelled for further investigation, four (4) Judges were cautioned, while 22 petitions were dismissed for lacking merit.
Council cautioned Hon. Justice Rahman A. Oshodithe over the misuse of judicial discretion in Suit No. ID/232/53C/23.
Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa, Chief Judge of Edo State, was also cautioned over abuse of his judicial discretion in Suit No. B1/555/2020 and was advised to exercise his discretion judicially and judiciously in future.
Council issued a final warning to Hon. Justice G. B. Okolosi of the Delta State High Court for continued flouting Section 294 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, and Hon. Justice Sa’adatu I. Mark, Federal High Court, received a caution for delivering judgment after the constitutional 90 days.
Council deliberated on the report of the investigation Committee in respect of three petitions by Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Fidelis Bemsen Mnyim, Guana Benjamin Joseph, Esq., and Terhemen Ngbea against Hon. Justice M. A. Ikpambese and absolved the Chief Judge from any judicial wrongdoings, the petitions being lacking in merit.
It noted that all the petitions presented against him were with the sole aim of removing him from his position.
Council was particularly concerned about the role of the Attorney-General of the State, Fidelis Bemsen Mnyim, Esq., in the scheme to remove the Chief Judge and resolved to report him to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for necessary action.
The Council also dismissed petitions against four other Judges, including Justice A. M. Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano Division (Petition by Abdullahi Baffa Bichi), Justice S. A. Amobeda (Petition by Abdullahi Baffa Bichi), Justice Muhammad Auwal Haruna (Petition by Abdulrazaq Banaru Abubakar), and Justice Binta Fatima Murtala Nyako (Petition by Kabiru S. Chafe)
The joint petition against Hon. Justices A. M. Liman and S. A. Amobeda, and the petition against Hon. Justice Muhammad Auwal Haruna was withdrawn and accordingly dismissed.
Justice Binta Fatima Murtala Nyako was exonerated as the Council found no merit in the petition accusing her of delaying judgment and issuing an order on a property while the case was ongoing.
Further action was suspended in respect of petitions against Justice A. M. Liman by Kenneth Okere (in a different case) and Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court for being sub judice.
The Council, however, blacklisted Peter N. Ekemezie, a serial petitioner from presenting further petitions before it.
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