NJC sanctions two judges, announces fresh probes, new appointments (FULL LIST)

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has barred two judges from elevation to the Court of Appeal over breaches of judicial process.

The sanctioned judges are Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court and Godwin Brikins-Okolosi of the Delta State High Court.

The NJC took the decisions and other ones, including announcing new judicial appointments and launching new probe of some judges, at its 105th meeting held on 15 and 16 May. The meeting was presided by the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and chairman of the council.

The NJC, a statutory body concerned with appointment and discipline of judges, said Mr Ekwo was found culpable of “abuse of discretionary power of a judge by wrongly granting an ex-parte order.” The council said it barred him from being promoted to the appellate court for two years.

The case in question, marked FHC/ABJ/C/626/2023, was filed by Juliet Ebere Nwadi Gbaka and two others against Seplat Energy Plc and 12 orders.

Media reports indicate that Mr Ekwo issued the controversial ex-parte order on 11 May 2023 suspending the managing director of Seplat, chairman of the company, and other members of the company’s board from office.

In May 2023, the Court of Appeal in Abuja reportedly reversed the order.

For Mr Brikins-Okolosi, the NJC sanctioned him for “failure to deliver judgement within stipulated period” of three months, “after parties had filed and adopted their final written addresses.” He is barred from promotion for three years, according to the NJC.

The JC said he failed to deliver judgement within stipulated period in Joseph Anene Okafor Vs Skye Bank, a suit marked A/94/2010, after parties had filed and adopted their final written addresses.

The council said it issued both of Messrs Ekwo and Brikins-Okolosi separate warning letters.

Similarly, the council cautioned Amina Shehu, a judge of the Yobe State High Court “for issuing Writ of Possession Conferring Title on the defendant “when there was no subsisting judgement of any court to enable” her to issue the writ.

At the meeting, the council said it considered two reports of its two Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees that filtered 35 petitions written against judges of the Federal and State High Courts, and decided to empanel eight committees to further investigate the petitions that were found meritorious by the committees.

Dismissed complaints

However, complaints against various judges were dismissed for sundry reasons, including “lack of merit, evidence of misconduct”. Some of them were also dismissed for being “subjudice or that they were matters that could be appealed.”

The dismissed petitions were against – Justices A. M. Liman, A. A. Okeke, D. E. Osiagor of the Federal High Court; Justices S. B. Belgore, Bello Kawu (both of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory), Justices O. A. Chijioke, A. E. Akeredolu and Kadi M. U. El-Mainari who sat on Election Petition Tribunal in Edo State; Justice Okey Paulinus Aneke, High Court Enugu State, and Justice C. Anya of Abia State.

Others are Justices M. A. Ikpambese and W. I. Kpochi (both of Benue High Court), Justices T. E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka Chief Judge and B. C. Iheka of Imo State High Court, Justice Rose Godwin Soji of Nasarawa State High Court, Justice T. J. Yakubu, High Court Taraba State, Justices W. N. Danagogo and Chinwendu Nworgu, High Court Rivers State, Justice C. C. Okaa, High Court Anambra State and Justice Abdullahi Sulyman High Court, Kogi State.

The council deliberated on the notification of retirements of the CJN, Mr Ariwoola, and two other judicial officers, and notification of death of three judges of the federal and state courts.

Fresh probes

The NJC also set up eight panels to probe some petitions written some judges.

“Council at the meeting considered two Reports of its two Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees that filtered 35 petitions written against Judges of the Federal and State High Courts and decided to empanel eight Committees to further investigate the petitions that were found meritorious by the Committees,” the statement said.

The statement did not give the names and other details of the affected judges.

Appointments

The NJC said it considered the recommendation of its Interview Committee on Appointment of Judicial Officers of all superior courts of Record in Nigeria and resolved to recommend the under-listed 86 Judicial Officers for appointment to the Court of Appeal, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal of States in Nigeria.

They are as follows:

1. TWENTY-TWO (22) JUSTICES, COURT OF APPEAL

1. Hon. Justice Kwahar Polycarp Terna

2. Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola

3. Hon. Justice Eleojo Eneche

4. Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf

5. Hon. Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman

6. Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo

7. Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru

8. Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani

9. Hon. Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar

10. Hon. Justice Abdulazeez M. Anka

11. Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba

12. Hon. Justice Nwoye Victoria Tochukwu

13. Hon. Justice Nwabunkeonye Onwosi

14. Hon. Justice Okorowo Donatus Uwaezuoke

15. Hon. Justice Ngozika Uwazurunonye Okaisabor

16. Hon. Justice Ntong Festus Ntong

17. Hon. Justice Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi

18. Hon. Justice Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette

19. Hon. Justice Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo

20. Hon. Justice Akinyemi Abiodun Azeem

21. Hon. Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola

22. Hon. Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi

2. TWELVE (12) JUDGES, HIGH COURT, FCT ABUJA

1. Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo

2. Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi

3. Anumaenwe Godwin Iheabunike

4. Odo Celestine Obinna

5. Hauwa Lawal Gummi

6. Abdurahman Usman

7. Buetnaan Mandy Bassi

8. Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh

9. Maryan Iye Yusuf

10. Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria

11. Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike

12. Munirat Ibrahim Tanko

3. SEVEN (7) JUDGES, IMO STATE HIGH COURT

1. Akowundu Cletus Ndubuisi

2. Uchenna Mary Njoku

3. Chibuogwu Ojiugo Chukwumaeze

4. Ononogbo Chidi Linus

5. Adaego Peace Nosiri

6. Emeka Ozoma Orafu

7. Mathew Chinedu Ijezie

4. SIX (6) JUDGES, BAUCH STATE HIGH COURT

1. Amin Umar Ilelah

2. Aliyu Bin Idris

3. Ahmed Shuaibu Ningi

4. Shafa’u Ladan Yusuf

5. Abdussalam Idris Waziri

6. Kawu A. Yerima

5. THREE (3) JUDGES, TARABA STATE HIGH COURT

1. Hamidu Audu

2. Bibonga Jeniffer Nauma

3. Joel Daniel Ubandoma

6. THIRTEEN (13) JUDGES, LAGOS STATE HIGH COURT

1. Sunmonu Tunde Bashiru

2. Azeez Fimisola Augusta

3. Alebiosu Olawale Lawal

4. Adewale Russel Musiliu

5. Popoola Oluwatosin Ajose

6. Anjorin-Ajose Tanimola Abdulwaheed

7. Muyideen Abdul-Raheem Tejumade

8. George Alfred Akingbola

9. Balogun Adegboyega Ganiu

10. Shonubi Adenike Kudirat

11. Badejo-Okusanya Yewande Jokotola

12. Layinka Oyeladun Amope

13. Ojuromi Nalirat Olayinka Oluwatosin

7. FOUR (4) JUDGES, KOGI STATE HIGH COURT

1. Ajesola Joseph Sunday

2. Ojoma Rachael Haruna

3. Kadiri Badama

4. Ezema Beatrice Ada

8. TWO (2) JUDGES, JIGAWA STATE HIGH COURT,

1. Mohammad El-Usman

2. Nilfa Abdullahi Gambo

9. FIVE (5) KADIS, SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, BAUCHI STATE

1. Ishaku Magaji

2. Abdurrahman Hassan Sabo

3. Bello Mohammed Sambowal

4. Muhyiddeen Mohammed

5. Mahmoud Idris Shehu Tiyin

10. FIVE (5) KADIS, SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Muhammad Muhammad Bello

2. Okino Isah Saidu

3. Yakubu Adavenge Abbas

4. Shaibu Ridwan Aliyu

5. Idris Alhaji Abdullahi

11. ONE (1) KADI, SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, JIGAWA STATE

1. Mukhtar Shuaibu Adam

12. THREE (3) JUDGES, IMO STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL

1. Everyman Ezenna Eleanya

2. Ofoha Sylvesta Uchenna

3. Ibeh Rosemond Oluchi

13. TWO JUDGES, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, TARABA STATE

1. Esther Tata

2. Benjamin Samuila Bawage

14. ONE (1) JUDGE, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Maryann Oziohu Otaru

All recommended candidates are expected to be sworn-in after the approval of the NJC recommendations to the President and their respective State Governors.

Soji Oye, Esq.

Director, Information