NJC Suspends Rivers, Anambra High Court Judges

***Recommends Compulsory Retirement for Two Heads of Court Over Misconduct

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended two High Court judges, Justice G. C. Aguma of Rivers State and Justice A. O. Nwabunike of Anambra State, from performing judicial functions for one year without pay, following investigations over misconduct.
Both judges will also be placed on a two-year watch list after the suspension period.

This decision was reached at the NJC’s 107th meeting, presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on November 13 and 14, 2024. Alongside these suspensions, the NJC sanctioned three other judicial officers and recommended the compulsory retirement of the Chief Judge of Imo State, Hon. Justice T. E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka, and the Grand Kadi of Yobe State, Hon. Kadi Babagana Mahdi, over age falsification.

According to the NJC, Justice Aguma aided a litigant inappropriately by transferring a garnishee proceeding from Abuja to Rivers State for enforcement. Similarly, Justice Nwabunike was found to have breached judicial conduct rules by issuing ex parte orders without proper procedures.

The NJC’s report indicated that Justice Chikeka and Grand Kadi Mahdi presented multiple birth dates to extend their service beyond the legal retirement age. The council has ordered both judges to refund all excess salaries received after their actual retirement dates.

The NJC also issued warnings to two other judges, Justice I. A. Jamil and Chief Judge J. J. Majebi of Kogi State, regarding their handling of sensitive cases. Petitions against several other judges were dismissed for lack of merit.

In addition, the council recommended the appointment of 36 judicial officers across several states and pledged to report legal practitioners filing unfounded petitions against judges to disciplinary committees for action. The appointed judges are expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors.