The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended three judicial officers for one year without pay over misconduct, including unlawful detention of litigants, abuse of judicial powers and failure to comply with due process.
The Council also cautioned eight other judicial officers and approved warning letters for three judges following investigations into complaints about their handling of cases.
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.
The suspended 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.
Why the judges were suspended
Justice Kabir was suspended for ordering the arrest and detention of a litigant for 58 days over alleged disobedience of a court order without following the prescribed contempt proceedings.
The NJC found that she failed to issue and serve the mandatory Forms 48 and 49 or institute proper proceedings before ordering the detention. The Council held that the action violated the litigant’s right to fair hearing.
Grand Kadi Salihu was suspended for reopening a judgment delivered by an FCT Upper Area Court. The Council found that he exceeded his authority by setting up a committee to review the judgment and assigning the matter to another judge, who received fresh evidence and delivered a new decision.
The NJC held that the process amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
Justice Biambo was sanctioned for issuing bench warrants and imposing fines on litigants in a civil dispute without following due process. The Council found that he ordered the arrest of litigants over alleged disobedience of an interim injunction and subsequently imposed fines of ₦300,000 on each without proper contempt proceedings.
The NJC also barred Justices Kabir and Biambo from nomination for elevation for three years.
Other judicial officers cautioned
Among those cautioned was Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT High Court, 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.
The Council directed that Kawu be issued a warning letter and placed on its Watch List.
Justices Danjuma Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana of the Nasarawa State High Court were also directed to receive warning letters for delivering judgment in an appeal outside the constitutionally prescribed 90-day period.
Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court was cautioned for making orders after being informed that an appeal had already been entered at the Court of Appeal.
The NJC also cautioned Justice C. A. Ogbuagor of the Enugu State High Court for continuing proceedings despite a pending appeal and an application for stay of proceedings.
Justice Chibuike Azuama of the Imo State High Court was 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.
Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court was cautioned over his handling of post-judgment garnishee proceedings in a case involving First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
NJC reviews petitions
The Council also reviewed 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 the matter was already before a court.
The NJC further directed that investigation should continue into a petition against Justice G. N. Ugbala of the Ebonyi State High Court despite the petitioner’s decision to withdraw the complaint.
The disciplinary measures form part of the Council’s efforts to uphold judicial
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