NJC suspends three Judges over misconduct, abuse of judicial powers By Our Reporter The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended three judicial officers for one year without pay and issued cautions or warning letters to several others over alleged misconduct, abuse of judicial powers and violations of due process. The decisions were reached at the Council’s 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. The three suspended judicial officers 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 sanctioned for ordering the arrest and detention of a litigant for 58 days over alleged disobedience of a court order without commencing proper contempt proceedings or serving the mandatory Forms 48 and 49. The Council held that her action violated the litigant’s right to fair hearing and consequently barred her from being considered for elevation for three years. Grand Kadi Salihu was suspended for reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court. An investigation found that he exceeded his judicial authority by setting up a committee to review the judgment and subsequently assigning the matter to another judge, who received fresh evidence and delivered a new judgment. The NJC ruled that the procedure amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment delivered by a court of competent jurisdiction. Justice Biambo was also sanctioned for ordering the arrest of litigants and imposing fines of N300,000 each in a civil dispute without following the required contempt proceedings or serving the prescribed forms. Both Salihu and Biambo were equally barred from consideration for elevation for three years. The Council also cautioned Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court over his handling of post-judgment garnishee proceedings in a case involving First Bank of Nigeria Plc. It found that he granted a fresh ex parte application for a Garnishee Order Nisi after an earlier similar application had been withdrawn and struck out, despite other pending applications, including one seeking a stay of execution. In another disciplinary decision, the NJC approved warning letters for Justice Bello Kawu 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. Justices Danjuma Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana were also issued warning letters for delivering judgments in appeals outside the constitutionally prescribed 90-day period. Other judicial officers cautioned or placed on the Council’s Watch List include Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court for making orders after being informed that an appeal had been entered at the Court of Appeal. Justice C. A. Ogbuagor of the Enugu State High Court was also sanctioned for continuing proceedings despite a pending appeal and an application for stay. Similarly, Justice Chibuike Azuama of the Imo State High Court was cautioned for granting an ex parte garnishee order freezing the accounts of Puma Energy, a company that was not a party to the substantive suit. The NJC also reviewed 35 petitions submitted by its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees. Of the petitions, 24 were dismissed for lack of merit, four were recommended for further investigation, while one was placed in abeyance because the matter was sub judice. The Council further directed that investigations into a petition against Justice G. N. Ugbala of the Ebonyi State High Court should continue despite the petitioner’s notice of withdrawal. Meanwhile, the NJC recommended 28 candidates for judicial appointments across several states. The recommendations include 24 judges for the High Courts of Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun States, a Grand Kadi for the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, a Kadi for the Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and two judges for the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal. The Council also directed the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to include the name of the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ijeoma Agugua, in the shortlist for appointment as substantive Chief Judge, following a petition challenging her exclusion. Additionally, the NJC approved the retirement notifications of six judicial officers, including two Justices of the Supreme Court, and expressed condolences over the deaths of nine judicial officers between May and September 2026.