The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended three judicial officers for one year without pay over alleged misconduct and violations of due process in the handling of cases, in a disciplinary move aimed at strengthening accountability within Nigeria’s judiciary.

The affected judicial officers are Justice Hannatu Mohammed Kabir of the Nasarawa State High Court, Grand Kadi Mohammed Sani Salihu of the Jigawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and Justice Sobere Biambo of the Rivers State High Court.

The decisions were taken at the NJC’s 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

According to a statement issued by the council’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, the disciplinary actions followed investigations into petitions concerning the conduct of the affected judicial officers.

The council also barred two of the suspended judges from nomination for elevation for three years.

Justice Kabir was sanctioned over the unlawful detention of a litigant for 58 days without following the required legal procedures for contempt proceedings.

The NJC’s investigation committee found that she ordered the arrest and detention of the litigant for allegedly disobeying court orders without issuing and serving the mandatory Forms 48 and 49 or instituting proper contempt proceedings.

The committee held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and could not lawfully be dealt with through summary proceedings. It also found that the action violated the litigant’s right to a fair hearing.

Consequently, the council approved her suspension for one year without pay and barred her from nomination for elevation for three years.

Similarly, Grand Kadi Salihu was suspended for one year without pay over his involvement in reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court.

The investigation committee found that he exceeded his authority by constituting a committee to review the judgment and subsequently assigning the matter to a Higher Sharia Court judge, who received fresh evidence and delivered another judgment.

According to the NJC, the process amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment delivered by a court of competent jurisdiction. The subsequent judgment was later set aside by the Jigawa State High Court.

The council said the action also violated Rule 3.3.1 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, 2016.

The third suspended judge, Justice Biambo, was sanctioned for issuing bench warrants and imposing fines on litigants in a civil dispute without following the prescribed contempt procedures.

The investigation found that he ordered the arrest of litigants over alleged disobedience of an interim injunction and subsequently imposed fines of N300,000 on each of them without instituting proper contempt proceedings or serving Forms 48 and 49.

The committee held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and should not have been summarily tried and punished.

Like Justice Kabir, Justice Biambo was suspended for one year without pay and barred from nomination for elevation for three years.

Beyond the three suspensions, the NJC also approved warning letters for three judicial officers and cautioned eight others over different forms of misconduct.

Among those cautioned was Justice Bello Kawu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, who was found to have granted interim bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, despite an existing remand order issued by another judge of the same court.

The council also issued warning letters to Justices Danjuma Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana of the Nasarawa State High Court over their failure to deliver judgment in an appeal within the constitutionally prescribed 90-day period.

Other judicial officers were cautioned over issues including making orders despite pending appeals, disregarding court procedures and granting orders affecting parties who were not involved in the substantive cases.

The NJC’s disciplinary decisions followed its review of investigation reports and petitions submitted to its committees.

The council also announced the recommendation of 28 candidates for judicial appointments across five states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The latest disciplinary actions highlight the NJC’s constitutional responsibility to oversee the conduct of judicial officers and address complaints involving alleged abuse of judicial powers, procedural violations and breaches of judicial ethics.

The suspensions also reinforce the importance of due process, fair hearing and respect for the hierarchy of courts in the administration of justice.

For litigants, the decisions underline the need for judicial officers to exercise their powers within the limits of the law, particularly in matters involving contempt proceedings, enforcement of court orders and disputes between parties.

However, the effectiveness of such disciplinary measures will ultimately depend on consistent enforcement of judicial standards and the council’s willingness to investigate complaints and sanction misconduct regardless of the judicial officer involved.

The NJC’s latest decisions therefore represent another significant step in its efforts to promote discipline, public confidence and accountability within Nigeria’s judiciary.