By Princely Onyenwe | News Desk
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has approved the retirement notifications of two Supreme Court Justices, alongside four other judicial officers, bringing the total number of approved retirement notifications to six. The Council also approved the suspension of three judicial officers for one year without pay over various acts of misconduct.
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 Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun.
The two Supreme Court Justices whose retirement notifications were approved are Justice Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa, scheduled to retire on September 29, 2026, and Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji, whose retirement is scheduled for November 7, 2026.
The four other judicial officers whose retirement notifications were approved include Justice O. F. Omoleye of the Court of Appeal, whose retirement was scheduled for October 6; Justice Ogechi Okehielem of the Abia State High Court, whose voluntary retirement was scheduled for September 15; Justice Theresa Isidore Obot of the Akwa Ibom State High Court, due to retire on December 30; and Justice Munir Muhammad Ladan of the Kaduna State High Court, whose voluntary retirement is scheduled for December 31, 2026.
Beyond the retirement decisions, the NJC recommended 28 candidates for judicial appointments across several states. These comprise 24 nominees for appointment as judges of the High Courts in Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun States.
The remaining four recommendations include one Grand Kadi for the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, one Kadi for the Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and two judges for the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.
The Council directed that the successful candidates be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.
In a significant development for Imo State’s judiciary, the NJC also directed the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to include the name of the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ijeoma Agugua, in the shortlist of candidates for appointment as the substantive Chief Judge of the state.
The directive followed a petition challenging her exclusion from the shortlist. The Council maintained that although state judicial service commissions have the responsibility to recommend suitable candidates, the NJC retains the authority to determine the suitability of persons presented for judicial appointments.
On disciplinary matters, the Council approved the suspension of three judicial officers for one year without pay following investigations into allegations of misconduct and improper handling of judicial proceedings.
The affected 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 over the unlawful detention of a litigant for 58 days without the institution of proper contempt proceedings or the issuance and service of mandatory Forms 48 and 49.
The investigation committee found that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and could not lawfully be summarily tried and punished. The Council consequently approved her one-year suspension without pay and barred her from nomination for elevation for three years.
Similarly, Grand Kadi Salihu was suspended for reopening a judgment delivered by an FCT Upper Area Court and initiating a process that amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
The investigation established that he exceeded his authority by constituting a committee to review the judgment and subsequently assigning the matter to another judge, who received fresh evidence and delivered another judgment.
For the Rivers State High Court, Justice Sobere Biambo was suspended for issuing bench warrants and imposing fines on litigants in a civil dispute without following the prescribed legal procedures.
The Council found that he ordered the arrest of litigants over alleged disobedience of an interim injunction and subsequently imposed fines of ₦300,000 on each without proper contempt proceedings or service of the mandatory court forms.
In addition to his one-year suspension without pay, Justice Biambo was barred from nomination for elevation for three years.
The NJC further approved cautionary and warning measures against six other judicial officers, including placement on its Watch List for six months.
Among those affected was Justice Bello Kawu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, who was cautioned over granting interim bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, despite an existing remand order issued by another judge of the same court.
The Council also sanctioned Justices Danjuma A. Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana of the Nasarawa State High Court over their failure to deliver judgment in an appeal within the constitutionally prescribed 90-day period.
Other judicial officers cautioned included Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court over proceedings conducted after an appeal had been entered at the Court of Appeal; Justice C. A. Ogbuagor of the Enugu State High Court over disregard for due process and court hierarchy; and Justice Chibuike L. Azuama of the Imo State High Court over an ex parte garnishee order that froze the bank accounts of Puma Energy, a company that was not a party to the substantive suit.
The Council also reviewed 35 petitions submitted by its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees. Of these, 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.
Meanwhile, the NJC expressed condolences over the deaths of nine judicial officers recorded between May 1 and September 26, 2026, acknowledging their contributions to the judiciary and the Nigerian nation.
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