In a bold move to restore integrity and discipline within Nigeria’s judiciary, the National Judicial Council (NJC) has taken sweeping disciplinary actions against erring judicial officers, suspending three judges and placing several others on watchlists for misconduct.
The Council’s latest meeting marks a decisive step in its ongoing commitment to judicial accountability and the protection of the rule of law. Three judges — Justice Jane Inyang, Justice Inyang Ekwo, and Justice Aminu Baffa Aliyu — have each been handed one-year suspensions without pay for serious breaches of the Judicial Code of Conduct.
Justice Jane Inyang, now of the Court of Appeal, was found guilty of misusing ex-parte orders during his tenure at the Federal High Court in Uyo. His actions, involving Suit No. FHC/UY/CS/46/2023, included authorizing the sale of private property at an interlocutory stage — a decision NJC deemed a clear abuse of judicial authority.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, faced even stiffer consequences. In addition to his one-year suspension, he was placed on a five-year watchlist and barred from elevation to a higher court within that period. His infraction stemmed from delivering a ruling without hearing the parties and ignoring key applications to set aside prior proceedings, in violation of fundamental judicial ethics.
Justice Aminu Baffa Aliyu of the Zamfara Division was sanctioned for overstepping legal bounds by restraining security agencies from performing their statutory functions in Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/30/2021. He was found to have disregarded binding precedents and was accordingly placed on a three-year watchlist alongside his suspension.
The NJC’s disciplinary net extended further. Justice A.O. Awogboro of the Lagos Division received a caution following a misconduct petition, while other pending complaints were either deferred due to ongoing appeals or dismissed for lack of merit.
Out of 43 petitions reviewed, 29 were dismissed, while nine committees were set up to investigate 27 judicial officers currently under scrutiny for misconduct. The Council emphasized due process in all investigations.
In a proactive step towards restoring public confidence, the NJC announced that names of all nominees for superior courts will now be made public for citizen input — a transparency-driven reform expected to deepen public trust in the judiciary.
The NJC also examined petitions on judicial appointments. A case brought by Mahmud Aliyu challenging the integrity of the 2022 Zamfara judicial appointment process was dismissed as unfounded and malicious. The Council went further to bar him from future applications for judicial office, citing the deliberate spread of falsehoods.
Another petition challenging the 2021 recruitment of Federal High Court Judges was dismissed as statute-barred, having been filed beyond the allowed six-month window. Similarly, a complaint over the composition of the Oyo State Judicial Service Commission was declared irrelevant due to changing circumstances.
The Council accepted the voluntary retirement of Justice Babatunde Ahmed Ademola Bakre and approved the name change of Justice I.A. Osayande to Justice I.A. Dika of the Edo State High Court.
This latest round of disciplinary actions, reforms, and policy changes underscores the NJC’s firm resolve to cleanse the judiciary and enforce ethical conduct across all levels of the bench.
The Council’s message is clear: judicial office is a sacred trust — not a shield for abuse.