NJC launches secret probe into top Nigerian judges

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has reportedly commenced a discreet investigation into some of Nigeria’s top judicial officers, including heads of courts, following a surge of serious petitions against senior members of the bench.

The NJC, chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, is constitutionally empowered to oversee the appointment, promotion and discipline of judicial officers. The 24-member body derives its authority from Paragraph 20 of Part One of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Sources familiar with the development said the probe was triggered by “serious and disturbing petitions” alleging misconduct, forgery, false asset declarations and age falsification against unnamed judges.

According to one insider, one of the allegations is considered particularly grave, prompting the CJN to order an urgent investigation aimed at identifying those responsible and restoring public confidence in the judiciary. The inquiry is said to be shrouded in confidentiality, with only a few members of the council aware of its details.

Efforts to obtain official confirmation were unsuccessful. Tobi Soniyi, Senior Special Assistant to the CJN on Media, reportedly referred enquiries to the NJC, while the council’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, said she was unaware of the investigation.

Justice Kekere-Ekun, who assumed office as acting CJN in August 2024, has repeatedly expressed concern over declining public trust in the judiciary. At the opening of the 2025/2026 legal year in September 2025, she pledged reforms focused on transparency, judicial excellence and improved justice delivery.

Since her assumption of office, the NJC has taken disciplinary measures against several judges. In November 2024, two judges were compulsorily retired, two suspended for two years, and another formally warned. Investigative panels were also established to examine additional allegations.

In June 2025, the council reportedly retired 10 judges, cautioned five others, and barred a National Industrial Court judge from promotion for three years.

The latest probe underscores the NJC’s ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability and integrity within Nigeria’s judiciary.

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