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FULL LIST: NJC sends 10 Judges on compulsory retirement, recommends 21 for appointment

Published

1 year ago

June 27, 2025

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Being unedited statement issued Thursday evening, June 26, 2025, and signed by NJC Deputy Director (Information), Kemi Babalola Ogedengbe

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.

Six High Court Judges of the State, whose dates of birth either had discrepancies but with acceptable explanations or with discrepancies arising from genuine correction of their dates of birth to their disadvantage, were also exonerated.

The Judges whose dates of birth were found to bear no discrepancy are:

.1 Hon Justice .I O. Agugua (High Court)

2. Hon Justice C. A. Ononeze-Madu (High Court)
3. Hon 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:

1. Hon Justice Vincent I. Onyeka (High Court)

2. Hon Justice Vivian O. B. Ekezie (High Court)

Council directed that Hon. Justice Onyeka and Hon. 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:

.1 Hon Justice P. U. Nodum (High Court)

.2 Hon. Justice Alma Ngozi Eluwa (High Court)

.3 Hon. Justice Matthew Chinedu Ijezie (High Court)
4. Hon Justice Ononogbo Chidi Linus (High Court)

The Council has also reiterated its earlier direction to the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, to appoint the most Senior Judicial Officer as the acting Chief Judge of the Imo State High Court.

Council, in further deliberation, barred a Judge of the National Industrial Court, Hon. Justice Isaac J. Essien, from being considered for promotion to a Higher Court for three years due to misconduct.

Council found that Hon. Justice Essien 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.

Hon. 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 (3) three years.

Council also considered the reports of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees, which contained a total number of 30 petitions against various Judicial Officers. Four (4) Committees were empanelled for further investigation, four (4) Judges were cautioned, while 2 petitions were dismissed for lacking in merit.

Council cautioned Hon. Justice Rahman A. Oshodi, over misuse of judicial discretion in Suit No. ID/232/53C/23.

Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa, Chief Judge Edo State was also cautioned over abuse of his judicial discretion in Suit No.
B1/555/2020 and was advised to exercise his discretion judicially and judiciously in future.

Council issued a final warning to Hon. Justice G. B. Okolosi of the Delta State High Court for continued flouting Section 294 (1) of the 1999 Constitution and Hon. Justice Sa’adatu .I Mark, Federal High Court received caution for delivering judgment after constitutional 90 days.

Petition against Chief Judge, Benue State, Hon. Justice M. A. Ikpambese:

Council deliberated on the report of the investigation Committee in respect of three petitions by Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Fidelis Bemsen Mnyim, Guana Benjamin Joseph, Esq., and Terhemen Ngbea against Hon. Justice M. A. Ikpambese and absolved the Chief Judge from any judicial wrong doings, the petitions having ben found to be lacking in merit.

It noted that all the petitions presented against him were with sole aim to remove him from his position.

Council was particularly concerned about the role of the Attorney-General of the State, Fidelis Bemsen Mnyim, Esq., in the scheme to remove the Chief Judge and resolved to report him to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for necessary action.

Council dismissed petitions against four other Judges:

1. Hon. Justice A. M. Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano Division (Petition by Abdullahi Baffa Bichi)

2. Hon. Justice S. A. Amobeda (Petition by Abdullahi Baffa Bichi)

3 Hon. Justice Muhammad Auwal Haruna (Petition by Abdulrazaq Banaru Abubakar)

4. Hon. Justice Binta Fatima Murtala Nyako (Petition by Kabiru S. Chafe)

The joint petition against Hon. Justices A. M. Liman and S. A. Amobeda, and the petition against Hon. Justice Muhammad Auwal Haruna were withdrawn and accordingly dismissed.

Hon. Justice Binta Fatima Murtala Nyako was exonerated as the Council found no merit in the petition accusing her of delaying judgment and issuing an order on a property while the case was ongoing.

Further action was suspended in respect of petitions against Hon. Justice A. M. Liman by Kenneth Okere (in a different case) and Hon. Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court for being sub judice.

The Council, however blacklisted one Peter N. Ekemezie a serial petitioner from presenting further petitions before it.

PROMISES DELIVERED

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SDGs: Mbah moves Enugu beyond projects, targets lasting development impact

Published

10 hours ago

September 28, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

Enugu SSG, Prof Chidiebere Onyia and Frank Nweke Jnr

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…Unveils 25-year plan to sustain transformation beyond individual administrations

The Enugu State Government has unveiled a 25-year development plan aimed at ensuring that the state’s ongoing transformation outlives individual administrations, with Governor Peter Mbah declaring that the government’s focus is shifting from simply delivering projects to building strong institutions and achieving lasting improvements in the lives of citizens.

Mbah made the declaration at the 2026 Enugu State Global Goals Week Symposium, held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, with the theme, “From Projects to Lasting Impact: Sustaining Enugu State’s Development Transformation.”

Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the state’s development agenda was being deliberately aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure that investments in infrastructure, human capital and critical services produced measurable and enduring impact.

He said the administration had continued to prioritise investments in education, healthcare, roads, agriculture, water, technology, security and other critical sectors, stressing that the projects were not ends in themselves but part of a broader strategy to build systems capable of sustaining development over the long term.

“Our objective is not merely to execute projects, but to build systems and institutions capable of delivering enduring development and ensuring that the transformation we are driving today is sustained beyond the tenure of any single administration,” Mbah said.

He said the 25-year development plan would provide continuity, guide long-term investments, strengthen institutions, expand economic opportunities, improve human capital and promote inclusive development across the state.

Mbah noted that the state’s commitment to the SDGs was reflected in the spread of development interventions across the 260 electoral wards, particularly through the Smart Green Schools and Primary Healthcare Centres.

He assured that the government would continue to strengthen institutions, improve service delivery and put in place mechanisms to sustain the development gains achieved under the administration.

In a welcome address, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Enugu State SDGs Focal Person, Onyinye Akubuilo-Okpalanma, said the state’s transformation must remain people-centred, inclusive and sustainable.

She said government programmes should be judged not simply by the number of projects completed or funds spent, but by their impact on residents, the opportunities created and the communities strengthened.

“The success of government programmes should not be measured only by the number of projects completed or the amount of money spent, but by the extent to which those interventions improve the daily lives of our people, expand opportunities and strengthen communities,” she said.

Akubuilo-Okpalanma called for stronger community participation, continuous monitoring, reliable data and greater transparency in public finance and project implementation. She also urged greater attention to vulnerable groups and sustained investment in education, primary healthcare and environmental protection.

She called on development partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, the private sector and community leaders to work with government to sustain development gains, stressing the importance of continuity, institutional memory and long-term planning.

“Enugu’s transformation will be judged not only by the projects visible today, but also by the quality of institutions, opportunities and services available to future generations,” she said.

In a keynote address titled “From Projects to Lasting Impact: Sustaining Enugu State’s Development Transformation,” former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jnr., commended the scale and pace of public investment in the state over the past three years.

Nweke said the Mbah administration had reported more than 1,500 kilometres of roads constructed or reconstructed, over 7,000 classrooms and 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres.

He also cited the 2025 budget, in which ₦837.9 billion, representing 86 per cent of the budget, was allocated to capital expenditure, while ₦320.6 billion, representing more than one-third of the total budget, was allocated to education.

He stressed that improved domestic revenue mobilisation was essential to sustaining ambitious development, noting that the financial capacity to fund projects, maintain public assets and support institutions was critical to long-term transformation.

“Projects can transform places, but strong institutions are necessary to ensure that the transformation endures,” Nweke said.

He identified five priorities for sustaining Enugu’s development: linking investments to clearly defined problems and measurable outcomes; embedding the SDGs in planning and budgeting; measuring outcomes rather than expenditure alone; providing for the maintenance of public assets from the outset; and strengthening institutions, professional capacity and accountability mechanisms.

In separate goodwill messages, the UNICEF Field Office, Enugu representative, Juliet Chiluwe; the Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, Rt. Hon. Paul Nnajiofor; and Amb. Amaka Nweke commended the state’s development efforts and emphasised the need for inclusive, accountable and sustainable development that would continue to benefit present and future generations.

The event brought together government officials, development partners, traditional and community stakeholders, civil society representatives and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among other participants.

PROMISES DELIVERED

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FG slashes interest rate on late tax payment

Published

17 hours ago

September 28, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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The Federal Government (FG) has reduced the penalty interest rate for late settlement of tax liabilities, with the new regime taking effect from October 1, 2026.

Under the new arrangement, interest on tax liabilities payable in naira will be pegged to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) plus one percentage point, down from the previous five-percentage-point penalty.

The measure is contained in the Nigeria Tax Administration (Interest on Late Payment of Tax) Order, 2026, issued yesterday by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, pursuant to Section 65 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025.

According to the minister, the new Order will apply uniformly to taxpayers dealing with federal, state and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) tax authorities.

However, the applicable interest rate on naira-denominated tax liabilities will not fall below the yield on 364-day Treasury Bills, reflecting the Federal Government’s cost of borrowing when tax payments are delayed.

For tax liabilities payable in foreign currencies, interest will be charged at the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus six percentage points.

The Order further provides that where SOFR is discontinued, its officially designated successor rate will apply.

Explaining the rationale for the new regime, Oyedele said the objective was to align the cost of late tax payments more closely with prevailing market conditions while providing taxpayers with greater certainty about their obligations.

“Tax that is due belongs to the public. When it is paid late, Government may have to borrow to fill the gap, and the cost falls on everyone.

“This Order ties the cost of late payment to real market rates, so that delaying tax does not become a cheaper form of credit than the market itself,” he stated.

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APC wins all Chairmanship, Councillorship seats in Enugu

Published

1 day ago

September 27, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all chairmanship and Councillorship seats contested in the Sept. 26 Local Government Election in Enugu State.

The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) conducted election into the 17 Chairmanship and 260 Ward Councillorship positions in the state on Saturday.

Declaring the election results at the ENSIEC headquarters in Enugu on Sunday, the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Christian Ngwu, said that the election was free and fair.

Ngwu said that the election was conducted according to rules guiding the Commission, and “subsequently, we are issuing the winners with certificate of returns.”

Speaking after collecting his certificate of return, Chairman of Enugu South Local Government Area, Chief Caleb Ani, attributed the landslide victory of the candidates of APC to the massive developmental works of Gov. Peter Mbah.

Ani urged the residents of the state to vote for Mbah en masse in the forthcoming 2027 General Election to continue the good works.

“Gov. Mbah has done well in all ramifications, this is partly while the APC candidates won overwhelmingly.

“I urge the people to vote for him, come 2027 General Elections so that he will continue with his good works and do more,” he said.

Reacting, the APC Chairman in Enugu State, Dr Martin Chukwunweike, said that the resounding victory at the polls indicated the dominance of the national ruling party, APC, in the state.

“We will not rest as we push the developmental efforts of President Bola Tinubu and our amiable governor, His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for the world to see.

“Tinubu, Mbah and all the APC candidates will be reelected in 2027 as they have performed exceptionally well in the past three years,” he said.

In the numerical figures of the results pronounced, APC chairmanship candidates won with margins while the opposition parties trailed behind with minimal votes.

For instance, in Udenu, Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South local Government Areas respectively, the APC chairmen elect secured virtually the whole votes cast.