The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended a Rivers State High Court judge, Justice Sobere Biambo, and two other judicial officers for one year without pay, while sanctioning eight others over various acts of judicial misconduct.
The disciplinary measures followed investigations into allegations of abuse of judicial powers, unlawful detention of litigants, disregard for due process and other breaches of judicial ethics.
Justice Biambo was also barred from elevation for three years over his handling of a civil dispute in which he allegedly ordered the arrest of litigants and imposed fines of N300,000 on each of them without following the prescribed contempt proceedings.
The council found that the judge issued bench warrants against the petitioners for allegedly disobeying an interim injunction and subsequently imposed the fines without serving the mandatory Forms 48 and 49 or instituting proper contempt proceedings.
It held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and could not lawfully be summarily tried and punished.
The other judicial officers suspended for one year without pay are Justice Hannatu Mohammed Kabir of the Nasarawa State High Court and Grand Kadi Mohammed Sani Salihu of the Jigawa State Sharia Court of Appeal.
Justice Kabir was sanctioned for ordering the unlawful detention of a litigant for 58 days over alleged disobedience of court orders without complying with the mandatory contempt procedures.
Similarly, Grand Kadi Salihu was suspended for exceeding his judicial authority by reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court, constituting a committee to review the decision and subsequently assigning the matter to another judge for fresh proceedings.
The NJC held that the action amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, which was subsequently set aside by the Jigawa State High Court.
The council also sanctioned eight other judicial officers, comprising cautions, warning letters and placement on its Watch List.
Those affected include Justices Kayode Agunloye, Bello Kawu, Danjuma A. Oyigbenu, Isa Ebini Kana, Mohammed Zubairu, C. A. Ogbuagor and Chibuike L. Azuama.
Justice Agunloye of the FCT High Court was cautioned over his handling of post-judgment garnishee proceedings involving First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
The council found that he improperly entertained and granted a fresh ex parte application for a Garnishee Order Nisi after an earlier similar application had been withdrawn and struck out, while other pending applications, including a request for stay of execution, were yet to be determined.
Justice Kawu, also of the FCT High Court, was directed to receive a warning letter and placed on the council’s Watch List for granting interim bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, despite being aware of a subsisting remand order issued by another judge of the same court.
The council found that Justice Kawu granted the bail on December 23, 2025, a day before the remand order was due to expire, thereby acting in conflict with the subsisting order.
Two Nasarawa State High Court judges, Justices Danjuma A. Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana, were also directed to be issued warning letters for failing to deliver judgment in an appeal within the constitutionally prescribed 90-day period.
The NJC rejected their argument that the constitutional provision did not apply to appellate courts, noting that they had admitted delivering judgment outside the stipulated period without providing satisfactory explanations for the delay.
Justice Zubairu of the FCT High Court was cautioned and placed on the Watch List for entertaining an application and making orders after being informed that an appeal had already been entered at the Court of Appeal.
The council held that his conduct amounted to disregard for the appellate court and bordered on insubordination.
Similarly, Justice Ogbuagor of the Enugu State High Court was cautioned for continuing proceedings despite a pending appeal and an application for stay of proceedings.
The council found that his actions undermined fair hearing, disregarded due process and violated the hierarchy of courts.
Justice Azuama of the Imo State High Court was also cautioned, placed on the Watch List and advised to take his judicial responsibilities more seriously.
The NJC found that he granted an ex parte Garnishee Order freezing the bank accounts of Puma Energy, a company that was not a party to the substantive suit, thereby causing it substantial losses.
The decisions were taken at the council’s 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, said the council also considered reports on 35 petitions submitted by its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees.
Of the petitions, 24 were dismissed for lack of merit, four were recommended for further investigation, while one was placed in abeyance because the matter was sub judice.
The council further directed that investigations into a petition against Justice G. N. Ugbala of the Ebonyi State High Court should continue despite the petitioner’s notice of withdrawal.
