NJC Recommends Retirement of 10 Imo Judges, Appoints 21 Others

•Reiterates directive to Governor Uzodimma to swear in most senior judge as acting CJ

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the compulsory retirement of 10 judges of the Imo State Judiciary over various offences.

While nine of the judges recommended for sack were found guilty of age falsification, the 10th, Justice T. N. Nzeukwu is to be relieved of his appointment for breaching constitutional provisions on hierarchy of judges.

The decision to sack the affected judicial officers was said to have been taken at the end of the NJC’s 109th Meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

The meeting looked at the reports of its Investigation Committee on allegations of age falsification against eighteen (18) Judges of the Imo state judiciary on the one hand and the queries issued to Justices V. U. Okorie and T. N. Nzeukwu.

The report disclosed that nine of the 18 judges were found to have altered their dates of birth in their official records in order to confer on themselves the undue advantage of staying longer in service.

Those recommended for sack according to a statement issued by NJC’s Deputy Director, Information, Kemi Babalola Ogedengbe, included; Justice M. E. Nwagboso (High Court); Justice B. C. Iheka (High Court); Justice K. A. Leaweanya (High Court); Justice Okereke Chinyere Ngozi (High Court); and Justice Innocent Chidi Ibeawuchi (High Court).

The others are; Justice Tennyson Nze (Customary Court of Appeal); Justice Ofoha Uchenna (Customary Court of Appeal); Justice Everyman Eleanya (Customary Court of Appeal); and Justice Rosemond Ibe (Customary Court of Appeal).

Those exonerated are; Justice I. O. Agugua (High Court); Justice C. A. Ononeze-Madu (High Court); and Justice L. C. Azuama (High Court).

“The two Judges given a clean bill of health owing to provision of acceptable explanation for discrepancies in their dates of birth are: Justice Vincent I. Onyeka (High Court) and Justice Vivian O. B. Ekezie (High Court).

“Council directed that Justice Onyeka and Justice Ekezie must maintain the date of birth supplied by the Council of Legal Education in their official records.

“Four other Judges absolved on account that they genuinely corrected their dates of birth to their disadvantage are: Justice P. U. Nnodum (High Court); Justice Alma Ngozi Eluwa (High Court); Justice Matthew Chinedu Ijezie (High Court); and Justice Ononogbo Chidi Linus (High Court)”, the statement said.

Meanwhile, Justice T. N. Nzeukwu was found to have made himself available to be sworn in as acting Chief Judge of Imo State High Court knowing fully well that he was number four in the hierarchy of Judges of the Imo State Judiciary and contrary to Section 271 (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended”, the statement read in part.

The committee which subsequently recommended the compulsory retirement of Justice Nzeukwu did not however found the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Imo State, Hon Justice V. U. Okorie who chaired the Commission that nominated Justice Nzeukwu as acting Chief Judge guilty on the grounds that he dissented on record against the recommendation to appoint Justice T. N. Nzeukwu as acting Chief Judge.

“Council however reiterated its earlier direction to the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to swear in the most Senior Judge of the State as the acting Chief Judge”, the statement added.

In a related development the NJC has barred a Judge of the National Industrial Court, Justice Isaac J. Essien, from being considered for promotion to a Higher Court for three years due to misconduct.

Justice Essien was found to have wrongly ordered the confiscation of over N1 billion belonging to the Nasarawa State Government and its Local Government Councils, despite being aware that there was a pending appeal and a pending application for stay of execution.

“Council also noted that he refused to step aside from the case after the Nasarawa State Government raised concerns about possible bias”, it said.

“Justice Essien was a former staff member of the State University, which owed him gratuity, and he had earlier demanded payment using the official letterhead of the Court — a clear breach of Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.

“Council further criticized him for personally visiting the Court of Appeal registry to confirm if an appeal had been filed in the case — an action considered highly inappropriate for a Judge.

“His Lordship was found to have violated several rules in the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and was reprimanded and barred from elevation to a higher judicial office for a period of three years”, the statement noted”, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the NJC have recommended the appointment of 21 judicial officers.

The NJC disclosed that the recommendations followed a careful consideration of various public complaints made against shortlisted candidates for the various positions and a rigorous interview by an eighth-Member Interview Committee of the Council in line with the 2023 Revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for Appointment of Judicial Officers.

According to the statement, while Justice Adekanye Lekan Ogunmoye, is to be appointed as Chief Judge, Ekiti State,  Kadi Abba Mammadi was recommended as Grand Kadi, Yobe State.

“Similarly, Council has also recommended Mainasara Ibrahim Kogo Umar, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for appointment as Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal. The recommendations followed a careful consideration of various public complaints made against shortlisted candidates for the various positions and a rigorous interview by an 8-Member Interview Committee of the Council in line with the 2023 Revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for Appointment of Judicial Officers.

“The remaining successful 18 candidates who were recommended for appointment as Judges for different Jurisdictions are as follows: Edu, Glory Basseyii) and Irem, Melody Bassey as Judge of Cross River State High Court; Ojikutu, Adebayo Julius;  Adewole, Adejumoke Oluwatoyini and Adebo, Oluyemisi Olukemi as Judge of Ogun State High Court.

For Zamfara State High Court those recommended as judges are; Garba, Sirajo Aliyu;  Bashir Rabi and Abdullahi Nasiru.

Meanwhile, three Kadis were recommended for appointment to the bench of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Zamfara State and they are; Ibrahim, Jibril; Muhammed, Sanusi Magami and  Shaa’ban Mansur.

While Badamasi, Kabir Adam was recommended for appointment as Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Plateau State, Ogodo Lynda Nneka was recommended as Judge, Customary Court of Appeal, Ebonyi State.

In Katsina State Dikko, Fadila Muhammad; Abdulrahman, Shamsudden Yamayi; Abdullahi, Maryham Umaru and  Mohammed, Abubakar Dikko, were recommended for appointment as High Court Judges.

The NJC recalled that at its 108th Meeting held on April 29 and 30, 2025, it approved a new policy to publish the names of candidates for consideration for appointment as Judicial Officers and invited public input.

“A flurry of 86 public comments and complaints were received by the Council and 73 of them were favourable representing 85%, while 13 were adverse representing 15%.

“However, out of the Thirteen (13) complaints, Five (5) had no accompanying verifying affidavits in breach of the publication guidelines and were not considered. In view of the Council’s resolution, at its 27th Emergency Meeting held on February 3, 2025, relating to the appointment of the Chief Judge, Ekiti State, Council did not consider the Three (3) complaints relating thereto. Five (5) complaints were considered against the appointment relating to the High Courts of Plateau and Kano States and the Sharia Courts of Appeal of Zamfara and Katsina States.

“Flowing from this, Council dismissed Four (4) of the complaints, but found merit in one and dropped the affected candidate”, the statement added.