The suspended 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 a litigant’s arrest and detention for 58 days over alleged disobedience of a court order, without starting proper contempt proceedings or serving the mandatory Forms 48 and 49.
The NJC found that her actions violated the litigant’s right to a fair hearing. Along with her one-year suspension without pay, she was barred from promotion consideration for three years.
Grand Kadi Salihu was suspended for exceeding his judicial authority by reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court.
The Council found that he formed a committee to review the judgment and then assigned the matter to another judge, who heard fresh evidence and delivered a new judgment. The Council said this process amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Justice Biambo was also sanctioned for ordering the arrest of litigants and fining them N300,000 each in a civil dispute without following the required contempt procedure or serving the necessary forms.
The NJC also cautioned Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court over his handling of post-judgment garnishee proceedings in a suit involving First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
The Council faulted him for granting a fresh ex parte application for a Garnishee Order Nisi after an earlier application in the same matter had been withdrawn and struck out, while other applications—including one seeking a stay of execution—remained pending.
In a separate disciplinary decision, Justice Bello Kawu was cautioned for granting 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 also received warning letters for delivering judgment in an appeal after the constitutionally prescribed 90-day period.
Other judicial officers cautioned or placed on the NJC’s Watch List include Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court, for issuing 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, for proceeding with a case despite a pending appeal and application for a stay; and Justice Chibuike Azuama of the Imo State High Court, for granting an ex parte garnishee order freezing the accounts of Puma Energy, a company that was not a party to the main suit.
The Council also considered 35 petitions referred by its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees. It dismissed 24 for lack of merit, recommended four for further investigation and suspended consideration of one because the matter was sub judice.
It also directed that investigations into a petition against Justice G. N. Ugbala of the Ebonyi State High Court continue, despite the petitioner’s notice of withdrawal.
In addition to its disciplinary decisions, the NJC recommended 28 candidates for judicial appointments across several states.
The recommendations comprise 24 High Court judges for 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 Acting Chief Judge Justice Ijeoma Agugua on the shortlist for appointment as substantive Chief Judge, following a petition challenging her exclusion from the selection process.
The NJC also approved the retirement notifications of six judicial officers, including two Supreme Court Justices, and expressed condolences over the deaths of nine judicial officers between May and September 2026.
