The National Judicial Council has suspended three judges for one year without pay and cautioned eight others over misconduct, including unlawful detention of litigants, abuse of judicial powers and disregard for due process.

The decisions were taken at the Council’s 112th meeting on November 3, 2026, chaired by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

Those suspended 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.

Justice Kabir was sanctioned for ordering the arrest and detention of a litigant for 58 days without proper contempt proceedings or service of the mandatory Forms 48 and 49. The NJC also barred her from nomination for elevation for three years.

Grand Kadi Salihu was suspended for reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court, setting up a review committee and assigning the matter to another judge, in what the Council described as an unlawful appeal against a valid judgment.

Justice Biambo was disciplined for ordering the arrest of litigants and imposing ₦300,000 fines each in a civil dispute without following proper contempt procedures. He was also barred from elevation for three years.

The Council cautioned Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court over his handling of garnishee proceedings involving First Bank of Nigeria. It also warned Justice Bello Kawu for granting interim bail to former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami despite an existing remand order.

Other judicial officers were cautioned or placed on the watchlist for delivering judgments outside the constitutional 90-day period, continuing proceedings despite pending appeals, and freezing the accounts of a company that was not a party to a suit.

Beyond discipline, the NJC recommended 28 candidates for judicial appointments across several states, including 24 High Court judges, a Grand Kadi, a Kadi and two Customary Court of Appeal judges.

The Council considered 35 petitions, dismissed 24 for lack of merit, recommended four for further investigation and placed one in abeyance because it was sub judice. It also directed the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to include Acting Chief Judge Justice Ijeoma Agugua in the shortlist for substantive Chief Judge.