NJC Recommends 12 Appeal Court Justices, Suspends Two Judges

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of 12 new justices for the Court of Appeal and also suspended two judges for one year without salary over misconduct.

The decisions were made during the council’s 111th meeting held on May 13 and chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

In a statement released on Thursday by the NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, the council said the appointments were aimed “to fill vacancies arising from the elevation and retirement of Judicial Officers across various levels of the Judiciary and to strengthen the capacity of courts for effective justice delivery.”

The judges recommended as new justices of the Court of Appeal are Yakubu Abdulhammeed Mohammed, Monisola Oluwatoyin Abodunde, Raphael Ajuwa, Elias Ojie Abua, Mbalamen Jennifer Ijohor, Sabiu Bala Shuaibu, James Kolawole Omotosho, Emeka Nwite, Dauda Njane Buba, Sanusi Kado, Enikuomehin Ademola and Julcit Veronica Dadom.

The council also recommended Christine T. Clement Ende for appointment as a judge of the Benue State High Court. Ibrahim Abdullahi Yakubu and Bala Salisu Daura were also recommended as Kadis for the Katsina State Sharia Court of Appeal.

According to the NJC, the appointments of Yakubu and Daura were initially delayed after a petition questioned their eligibility because they had retired from public service.

However, the council later ruled that “the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) does not prohibit retired public servants from judicial appointment.”

The council said its decision was based on an earlier Court of Appeal judgment in Ayoola v. Baruwa, which stated that “no constitutional provision precludes a retired legal practitioner from appointment to the Bench.”

The NJC also introduced a new policy stating that retired public servants seeking judicial appointments must have “a minimum of ten years remaining in service before attaining the mandatory judicial retirement age.”

In another decision, the council extended the tenure of Ijeoma O. Agugua as Acting Chief Judge of Imo State for an additional three months to allow the appointment process for a substantive chief judge to be completed.

The council praised Ononeze-Madu for refusing to be sworn in outside constitutional procedures, describing the action  as “a demonstration of institutional integrity and respect for the rule of law.”

On disciplinary issues, the NJC dismissed appeals filed by eight judges from Imo State who were previously retired compulsorily over age falsification, saying they “failed to present fresh evidence capable of justifying a reversal of the sanctions imposed on them.”

However, the council reinstated T. I. Nze after new evidence was submitted before the review committee.

The NJC also suspended Ibrahim D. Shekarau for one year without salary over what it described as “judicial misconduct involving the grant of an ex parte order.”

According to the statement, the committee found that the judge “acted in bad faith, failed to observe due process and demonstrated a lack of professional competence.”

Another judge, Edward A. E. Okpe, was also suspended for one year without pay after the council found that he “granted an ex parte application that led to committal proceedings against the petitioner without affording him the opportunity to be heard.”

The council further disclosed that it threw out 73 petitions against judicial officers because they lacked merit, were not properly pursued, or were filed outside the allowed timeframe. Eleven other petitions were approved for further investigation.

The NJC also commended nine judges for outstanding performance during the 2024 and 2025 legal years and approved the issuance of 256 letters to judicial officers on performance-related matters.

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