The National Judicial Council (NJC) has directed the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, to reverse the appointment of Justice Theophilus Nnamdi Nzeukwu as Acting Chief Judge of the state and to instead appoint the most senior judge in line with established procedure.
Presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the NJC also ordered that Justice Nzeukwu be issued a query, requiring him to explain within seven days why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for presenting himself for swearing-in.
Justice Nzeukwu was sworn in by Governor Uzodimma on 4 April as Acting Chief Judge following the removal of Justice Theresa Chikeka, who was earlier indicted by the NJC for age falsification.
The council further directed Justice V. U. Okorie, President of the Imo State Customary Court of Appeal and interim head of the Judicial Service Commission, to show cause why disciplinary measures should not be taken against him for recommending Justice Nzeukwu’s appointment.
According to a statement by Kemi Ogedengbe Babalola, NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, the decisions were made during the council’s 108th meeting held on 29 and 30 April 2025.
The NJC also suspended three judicial officers, including one justice of the Court of Appeal, each for one year without pay over various instances of judicial misconduct.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Court of Appeal, Uyo Division, was sanctioned after an investigation found he had issued inappropriate ex parte orders for the sale of business assets during interlocutory proceedings in a suit he presided over at the Federal High Court before his elevation.
He was also suspended from the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, over a separate matter involving his failure to hear parties before delivering a ruling, thereby violating multiple sections of the 2016 Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers. He was further placed on a five-year watch-list and barred from elevation during that period.
Justice Aminu Baffa Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Zamfara Division, was also suspended for one year without pay and placed on a three-year watch-list for granting orders that interfered with the statutory duties of security agencies, contravening precedent and breaching the judicial code.
Additionally, Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, received a warning for misconduct in a case involving complaints by private litigants.
The NJC also reviewed 43 petitions during its session. Eleven cases are to be further investigated by nine newly constituted committees, while 29 petitions were dismissed for lacking merit.
Going forward, the NJC resolved to make public the names of judicial nominees being considered for appointment to superior courts to allow public input and scrutiny.