The National Judicial Council (NJC) has sanctioned three judicial officers for using their judicial powers in ways that violated the rights of litigants, including the detention of a court user for 58 days without following prescribed contempt procedures.
The disciplinary action, which carries a one-year suspension without pay, underscores the Council’s position that judicial authority must be exercised within the limits of the law and cannot be used to circumvent due process.
The affected 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 reached at the NJC’s 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
Justice Kabir was sanctioned for ordering the arrest and detention of a litigant for 58 days over alleged disobedience of a court order without initiating proper contempt proceedings or serving the mandatory Forms 48 and 49.
The Council held that the action violated the litigant’s right to fair hearing. In addition to the one-year suspension, she was barred from nomination for elevation for three years.
Grand Kadi Salihu was found to have exceeded his judicial authority by reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court.
The investigation established that he constituted a committee to review the judgment and subsequently assigned the matter to another judge, who received fresh evidence and delivered a new judgment.
The NJC held that the process amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, contrary to Rule 3.3.1 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, 2016.
Justice Biambo was sanctioned for ordering the arrest of litigants and imposing fines of N300,000 each in a civil dispute without proper contempt proceedings or service of the prescribed forms.
Like Justice Kabir, he was suspended for one year without pay and barred from nomination for elevation for three years.
The Council’s disciplinary decisions also extended to other judicial officers whose conduct attracted varying degrees of sanctions.
Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT High Court received a warning letter and was placed on the NJC Watch List over his decision to grant interim bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, despite a subsisting remand order.
Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court was also cautioned over his handling of post-judgment garnishee proceedings in a suit involving First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
Beyond the three suspensions, the Council cautioned eight other judicial officers, approved warning letters to three judges and placed six officers on its Watch List.
It also dismissed 24 petitions and recommended 28 candidates for judicial appointments.
The sanctions reflect the NJC’s ongoing disciplinary oversight of the judiciary, with the Council seeking to enforce professional standards, promote accountability and strengthen public confidence in the administration of justice.
