BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
National Judicial Council, NJC, has recommended the appointment of 12 justices for the Court of Appeal.
The Council also suspended two judges for one year without pay over judicial misconduct.
The decisions were reached at the council’s 111th meeting held on May 13 under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
In a statement issued late Thursday by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, the NJC said the appointments were aimed “at filling vacancies arising from the elevation and retirement of judicial officers across various levels of the judiciary and to strengthen the capacity of courts for effective justice delivery.”
The council recommended Yakubu Mohammed, Monisola Abodunde, Raphael Ajuwa, Elias Abua, Mbalamen Ijohor, Sabiu Shuaibu, James Omotosho, Emeka Nwite, Dauda Buba, Sanusi Kado, Enikuomehin Ademola and Veronica Dadom as new Justices of the Court of Appeal.
It also recommended Christine Ende as a judge of the Benue State High Court, while Ibrahim Yakubu and Bala Salisu Daura are for Kadis of the Katsina State Sharia Court of Appeal.
The NJC said the consideration of Yakubu and Daura was initially stepped down, following a petition challenging their eligibility due to their retirement from public service, but the council later concluded that “the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) does not prohibit retired public servants from judicial appointments.”
The council added that its position was guided by the Court of Appeal`s decision in Ayoola v. Baruwa (1999), which held that “no constitutional provision precludes a retired legal practitioner from appointment to the Bench.”
Under a newly adopted policy, the NJC said retired public servants seeking judicial appointments must have “a minimum of ten years remaining in service before attaining the mandatory judicial retirement age.”
The council also extended the appointment of Ijeoma Agugua as Acting Chief Judge of Imo State for another three months to allow the completion of the process for appointing a substantive chief judge.
The NJC commended Ononeze-Madu for declining to be sworn in contrary to established constitutional procedure, describing the action as “a demonstration of institutional integrity and respect for the rule of law.”
On disciplinary matters, the NJC rejected the appeals filed by eight Imo judges who were compulsorily retired over age falsification, saying they“failed to present fresh evidence capable of justifying a reversal of the sanctions imposed on them.”
The council, however, reinstated T. I Nze after he presented new evidence to the review committee.
The NJC also suspended Ibrahim Shekarau for one year without pay over what it described as “judicial misconduct involving the grant of an ex-parte order.”
According to the statement, the committee found that the judge “acted in bad faith, failed to observe due process and demonstrated lack of professional competence.”
On his part, Edward A. E Okpe was suspended for one year without pay after the council found that he “granted an ex-parte application that led to committal proceedings against the petitioner without affording him the opportunity to be heard.”
The NJC further disclosed that it dismissed 73 petitions against judicial officers for “lack of merit, want of diligent prosecution or for being time-barred,” while 11 petitions were recommended for further investigation.
The council also said it commended nine judges for exemplary performance during the 2024 and 2025 legal years and approved the issuance of 256 letters to judicial officers over performance-related matters.
