The National Judicial Council (NJC) has approved the compulsory retirement of 10 judges from the Imo State Judiciary, citing falsification of age and procedural violations.
In a statement released late Thursday night and signed by Kemi Babalola Ogedengbe, the NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, the council disclosed that nine of the affected judges were found guilty of falsifying their dates of birth in an attempt to extend their time in office.
The tenth judge, Justice T. N. Nzeukwu, was removed for improperly accepting appointment as Acting Chief Judge of Imo State, despite being fourth in the judicial hierarchy. The NJC said this violated Section 271(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
According to the council, the nine judges found to have falsified their records—comprising five High Court judges and four judges of the Customary Court of Appeal—are Justices M. E. Nwagboso, B. C. Iheka, K. A. Leaweanya, Okereke Chinyere Ngozi, and Innocent Chidi Ibeawuchi of the High Court; and Justices Tennyson Nze, Ofoha Uchenna, Everyman Eleanya, and Rosemond Ibe of the Customary Court of Appeal.
Justice V. U. Okorie, President of the Customary Court of Appeal, who chaired the commission that nominated Justice Nzeukwu as Acting Chief Judge, was absolved of wrongdoing after he formally dissented from the recommendation on record.
The NJC reiterated its directive to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State to appoint the most senior judge in the state as Acting Chief Judge.
The decision followed a comprehensive investigation into allegations of age falsification against 18 judges of the Imo State Judiciary. While 9 were found culpable and retired, three judges—Justices I. O. Agugua, C. A. Ononeze-Madu, and L. C. Azuama—were cleared entirely after their dates of birth were verified with no discrepancies.
Two others, Justices Vincent I. Onyeka and Vivian O. B. Ekezie, were also exonerated after providing acceptable explanations for discrepancies. However, they were directed to maintain the date of birth submitted by the Council of Legal Education in their official records.
Four additional judges—Justices P. U. Nnodum, Alma Ngozi Eluwa, Matthew Chinedu Ijezie, and Ononogbo Chidi Linus—were absolved after the NJC determined that the corrections to their dates of birth were genuine and made to their disadvantage.
At its 109th Meeting held on June 25, the NJC, chaired by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun, also recommended Mr. Mainasara Ibrahim Kogo Umar to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Additionally, the Council recommended Justice Adekanye Lekan Ogunmoye as Chief Judge of Ekiti State and Kadi Abba Mammadi as Grand Kadi of Yobe State.
The recommendations followed a rigorous interview and public complaint review process conducted by an eight-member panel, in line with the 2023 Revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for Appointment of Judicial Officers.
The NJC also approved 18 judicial appointments across various states and jurisdictions. For Cross River State, Edu Glory Bassey and Irem Melody Bassey were recommended as High Court judges. Ogun State will have three new High Court judges: Ojikutu Adebayo Julius, Adewole Adejumoke Oluwatoyin, and Adebo Oluyemisi Olukemi.
For Zamfara State, three High Court judges—Garba Sirajo Aliyu, Bashir Rabi, and Abdullahi Nasiru—were recommended, alongside three Kadis for the Sharia Court of Appeal: Ibrahim Jibril, Muhammed Sanusi Magami, and Shaa’ban Mansur. In Plateau State, Badamasi Kabir Adam was recommended as a Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal, while Ebonyi State will have Ogodo Lynda Nneka appointed as a judge of the Customary Court of Appeal.
Katsina State will see four new High Court judges: Dikko Fadila Muhammad, Abdulrahman Shamsudden Yammama, Abdullahi Maryham Umaru, and Mohammed Abubakar Dikko.
This follows the NJC’s new policy, adopted at its 108th meeting on April 29–30, 2025, which mandates publication of shortlisted candidates for public comment. The council received 86 public submissions: 73 were favorable, while 13 were adverse. Of the 13 negative comments, five lacked verifying affidavits and were dismissed. One complaint was upheld, and the affected candidate was dropped, while others were found to be without merit.
The council also approved the voluntary retirement of two judicial officers: Justice Babatunde Ademola Bakre of the Ogun State High Court and Justice H. O. Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court.
