The National Judicial Council (NJC) at its 109th Meeting presided over by the Honourable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun, GCON, held on 25 June 2025 has recommended two Hon. Judges for appointment as Heads of Court for Ekiti and Yobe States, respectively.
The Heads of Court are:
Hon. Justice Adekanye Lekan Ogunmoye, Chief Judge, Ekiti State; and Hon. Kadi Abba Mammadi as Grand Kadi, Yobe State.
Similarly, Council has also recommended Mainasara Ibrahim Kogo Umar, Esq. to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, 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 Appointment of Judicial Officers.
The remaining successful recommended for appointment as Judges for different Jurisdictions are as follows:
TWO HIGH COURT JUDGES FOR CROSS RIVER STATE
i) Edu, Glory Bassey
i) Irem, Melody Bassey
THREE HIGH COURT JUDGES FOR OGUN STATE
Adebayo Julius Adewole, Adejumoke Oluwatoyin Adebo, Oluyemisi Olukemi
THREE HIGH COURT JUDGES FOR ZAMFARA STATE i) Garba, Sirajo Aliyu
1) Bashir, Rabi
iii) Abdullahi, Nasiru
THREE KADIS FOR SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, ZAMFARA STATE
Ibrahim, Jibril
Muhammed, Sanusi Magami
Shaa’ ban Mansur
ONE KADI FOR SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, PLATEAU STATE
i) Badamasi, Kabir Adam
ONE JUDGE FOR CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, EBONYI STATE
i) Ogodo, Lynda Nneka
FOUR HIGH COURT JUDGES FOR KATSINA STATE
i) Dikko, Fadila Muhammad
ii) Abdulrahman, Shamsudden Yammama
iii) Abdullahi, Maryham Umaru
iv) Mohammed, Abubakar Dikko
It would be recalled that the Council had at its 108th Meeting held on 29 and 30 April 2025, 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 27h Emergency Meeting held on 3 February 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.
Meanwhile, the Council has approved the voluntary retirement of the following Judicial Officers:
i) Hon. Justice Babatunde Ademola Bakre of the Ogun State High Court.
ii) Hon. Justice H. O. Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court.
In the meantime, the Council has recommended compulsory retirement of ten Judges of Imo State Judiciary.
Nine (9) of the affected Judges of the Imo State Judiciary 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 while the other Judicial Officer, Hon. 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 nine Judges found to have falsified their records, comprising five (5) High Court Judges and four Judges of the
Customary Court of Appeal, Imo State are:
1. Hon Justice M. E. Nwagboso (High Court) 2. Hon Justice B. C. Theka (High Court)
3. Hon Justice K. A. Leaweanya (High Court)
.4 Hon Justice Okereke Chinyere Ngozi (High Court)
5. Hon Justice Innocent Chidi Ibeawuchi (High Court)
6. Hon Justice Tennyson Nze (Customary Court of Appeal)
7. Hon Justice Ofoha Uchenna (Customary Court of Appeal) 8. Hon Justice Everyman Eleanya (Customary Court of
Appeal)
9. Hon Justice Rosemond Ibe (Customary Court of Appeal)
Hon. Justice .T N. Nzeukwu was sanctioned for making himself available to be sworn into office as acting Chief Judge of Imo State.
The President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Imo State, Hon Justice V. U. Okorie who chaired the Commission that nominated Hon. Justice Nzeukwu as acting Chief Judge was however absolved, having dissented on record against the recommendation to appoint Hon. 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.
Council took the decision after consideration of 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 Hon. Justices V. U. Okorie and T. N. Nzeukwu.
The Council however dismissed, for want of merit, similar allegations against three Judges of the State High Court whose dates of birth were found to bear no discrepancy.