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NJC Fires 10 Judges for Age Fraud Now

NJC Sacks 10 Judges For Age Falsification (via Primetweets)
 

 

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has terminated the appointments of ten judges.

 

This action affects judges from Imo State, who were dismissed for misrepresenting their ages and engaging in other unethical behaviors.

 

Following its 109th session on June 26, led by Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the NJC announced that these judges had manipulated their birth dates in official documents to unlawfully prolong their careers.

 

The judges from the High Court include M.E. Nwagboso, B.C. Iheka, K.A. Leaweanya, Chinyere Ngozi Okereke, and Innocent Chidi Ibeawuchi.

 

Representing the Customary Court of Appeal are Justices Tennyson Nze, Uchenna Ofoha, Everyman Eleanya, and Rosemond Ibe.

 

Additionally, Hon. Justice T.N. Nzeukwu was retired forcefully for seeking the role of acting Chief Judge of Imo State while being fourth in the seniority ranking, contravening Section 271(4) of the 1999 Constitution.

 

The NJC reminded Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, of its directive to appoint the most senior judge in the state as the acting Chief Judge.

 

Justice V.U. Okorie, who presided over the nominations for Nzeukwu, was cleared of any wrongdoing despite dissenting from the decision.

 

Moreover, the NJC has put forward 21 nominees for judicial appointments across various levels, endorsing Justice Adekanye Lekan Ogunmoye as Chief Judge of Ekiti State and recommending Kadi Abba Mammadi as Grand Kadi of Yobe State.

 

Mainasara Ibrahim Kogo Umar, Esq., was also suggested for the role of Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

 

Additional candidates recommended include: Cross River High Court – Edu Glory Bassey and Irem Melody Bassey; Ogun High Court – Ojikutu Adebayo Julius, Adewole Adejumoke Oluwatoyin, and Adebo Oluyemisi Olukemi; Zamfara High Court – Garba Sirajo Aliyu, Bashir Rabi, and Abdullahi Nasiru; Zamfara Sharia Court of Appeal – Ibrahim Jibril, Muhammed Sanusi Magami, and Shaa’ban Mansur; Plateau Sharia Court of Appeal – Badamasi Kabir Adam; Ebonyi Customary Court of Appeal – Ogodo Lynda Nneka; Katsina High Court – Dikko Fadila Muhammad, Abdulrahman Shamsudden Yammama, Abdullahi Maryham Umaru, and Mohammed Abubakar Dikko.

 

The NJC noted it received 86 public responses regarding the shortlisted candidates as part of its April 2025 transparency initiative. Out of these, 73 were favorable, while five of the 13 negative responses were rejected with procedural issues.

 

On a different note, Hon. Justice Isaac J. Essien from the National Industrial Court has been suspended from promotional consideration for three years due to several violations, including imposing a confiscation order of N1 billion on behalf of the Nasarawa State Government while an appeal was ongoing.

 

The NJC identified that Justice Essien also misused the court’s official letterhead for personal matters and personally visited a court registry for an appeal, which they termed as “significantly inappropriate.”

 

Other judges faced varying degrees of penalties: Justice Rahman A. Oshodi received a caution for misusing discretion in Lagos (Suit No. ID/232/53C/23); Justice Daniel Okungbowa, Chief Judge of Edo, was warned for discretionary abuse (Suit No. B1/555/2020); Justice G.B. Okolosi of Delta State was given a final warning for recurrent breaches of Section 294(1) of the Constitution; and Justice Sa’adatu I. Mark from the Federal High Court was cautioned for late judgment delivery beyond the mandated 90-day period.

 

The NJC also dismissed complaints against four judges, including Justice A.M. Liman, Justice S.A. Amobeda, Justice Muhammad Auwal Haruna, and Justice Binta Fatima Murtala Nyako, citing lack of validity or petitioners withdrawing their complaints.

 

Additionally, Justice M.A. Ikpambese, Chief Judge of Benue State, was cleared of all allegations, and the state Attorney-General, Fidelis Bemsen Mnyim, will be reported to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for attempting to improperly influence judicial proceedings.

 

A recurring petitioner, Peter N. Ekemezie, has been officially barred from submitting any future complaints to the Council.

 

The NJC accepted the voluntary resignations of Justice Babatunde Ademola Bakre (Ogun High Court) and Justice H.O. Ajayi (Kwara High Court).

 

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