The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the compulsory retirement of 10 judges from the Imo State Judiciary over various offences.
While nine of the judges were found guilty of age falsification, the 10th judge, Justice T. N. Nzeukwu, is to be relieved of his appointment for violating constitutional provisions regarding judicial hierarchy.
The decision was reached at the NJC’s 109th Meeting, chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
The meeting reviewed reports from its Investigation Committee, which examined allegations of age falsification against 18 judges of the Imo State judiciary, as well as queries issued to Justices V. U. Okorie and T. N. Nzeukwu.
The report stated, “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.”
According to a statement by the NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola Ogedengbe, those recommended for compulsory retirement are:
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).
Others include: 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).
The statement also noted that the judges 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 added.
The NJC further stated, “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.”
While the committee recommended Justice Nzeukwu’s compulsory retirement, it did not find Justice V. U. Okorie, President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Imo State, guilty, as he had dissented on record against the recommendation to appoint Justice 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 disciplinary action, the NJC has also barred Justice Isaac J. Essien of the National Industrial Court from being considered for promotion to a higher court for three years over 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,” the NJC said.
“Council also noted that he refused to step aside from the case after the Nasarawa State Government raised concerns about possible bias.”
The statement further revealed, “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 concluded.
Meanwhile, the NJC has recommended the appointment of 21 judicial officers.
The council stated that these recommendations followed “a careful consideration of various public complaints made against shortlisted candidates and a rigorous interview by an eight-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 remaining successful 18 candidates who were recommended for appointment as Judges for different jurisdictions are as follows: Edu, Glory Bassey and Irem, Melody Bassey as Judges of Cross River State High Court; Ojikutu, Adebayo Julius; Adewole, Adejumoke Oluwatoyini; and Adebo, Oluyemisi Olukemi as Judges of Ogun State High Court.”
For Zamfara State High Court, those recommended are: Garba, Sirajo Aliyu; Bashir Rabi; and Abdullahi Nasiru.
Three Kadis were also recommended for the Sharia Court of Appeal, Zamfara State:
Ibrahim, Jibril; Muhammed, Sanusi Magami; and Shaa’ban Mansur.
For Plateau State, Badamasi, Kabir Adam was recommended as Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, while Ogodo Lynda Nneka was recommended as Judge, Customary Court of Appeal, Ebonyi State.
In Katsina State, the following were recommended as High Court Judges: Dikko, Fadila Muhammad; Abdulrahman, Shamsudden Yamayi; Abdullahi, Maryham Umaru; and Mohammed, Abubakar Dikko.
The NJC recalled that during its 108th Meeting held on April 29 and 30, 2025, it adopted a new policy to publish the names of candidates considered for appointment as judicial officers and invited public input.
“A flurry of 86 public comments and complaints were received by the Council — 73 were favourable, representing 85%, while 13 were adverse, representing 15%.”
“However, out of the 13 complaints, five 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 of Ekiti State, Council did not consider the three complaints relating thereto.”
“Five complaints were considered against appointments 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 of the complaints but found merit in one and dropped the affected candidate,” the statement concluded.