The National Judicial Council (NJC), chaired by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has dismissed nine judges from the Imo State Judiciary for falsifying their ages and engaging in other unethical practices.

In a statement released on Thursday by the NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Ogedengbe, the Council announced that out of 11 judges recommended for compulsory retirement, 10 are from Imo State.

The decision followed deliberations at the NJC’s 109th meeting held on June 25, 2025, and presided over by the CJN.

According to the NJC, nine of the affected judges were found to have tampered with their official birth records to unlawfully extend their tenure in service. The judges include five from the High Court and four from the Customary Court of Appeal in Imo State.

They are:

High Court: Justice M.E. Nwagboso, Justice B.C. Iheka, Justice K.A. Leaweanya, Justice Okereke Chinyere Ngozi, and Justice Innocent Chidi Ibeawuchi.

Customary Court of Appeal: Justice Tennyson Nze, Justice Ofoha Uchenna, Justice Everyman Eleanya, and Justice Rosemond Ibe.

Also recommended for retirement were Justice Babatunde Bakre of the Ogun State High Court and Justice H.O. Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court.

The NJC revealed it had received 86 public responses regarding shortlisted judicial candidates, in line with its April 2025 policy promoting transparency. Out of these, 73 were positive, while five out of 13 negative submissions were dismissed due to procedural flaws.

In a separate decision, the NJC barred Justice Isaac J. Essien of the National Industrial Court from promotion for three years. He was found guilty of multiple infractions, including issuing a confiscation order for ₦1 billion belonging to the Nasarawa State Government despite pending appeals and stay of execution orders. Justice Essien also inappropriately used official letterhead for personal matters and personally visited a court registry to check on an appeal.

Other disciplinary actions included:

Justice Rahman A. Oshodi (Lagos) – Cautioned for abuse of judicial discretion.

Justice Daniel Okungbowa (Edo Chief Judge) – Warned for misuse of judicial power.

Justice G.B. Okolosi (Delta) – Given a final warning for repeated delays in judgment delivery.

Justice Sa’adatu I. Mark (Federal High Court) – Cautioned for delivering judgment beyond the 90-day constitutional limit.

The Council also dismissed petitions against four judges—Justices A.M. Liman, S.A. Amobeda, Muhammad Auwal Haruna, and Binta Fatima Murtala Nyako—after finding no merit in the allegations or noting that the complaints were withdrawn.

Justice M.A. Ikpambese, Chief Judge of Benue State, was cleared of any wrongdoing, while the NJC resolved to refer Benue State Attorney-General, Fidelis Bemsen Mnyim, to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for attempting to influence judicial decisions.

Meanwhile, serial petitioner Peter N. Ekemezie was blacklisted and barred from filing future complaints before the Council.

The NJC also accepted the voluntary retirements of Justices Babatunde Bakre (Ogun) and H.O. Ajayi (Kwara).