NJC Initiates “Self-Cleansing” Amid Public Backlash Over Court Cases
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has initiated disciplinary proceedings against several judges in response to controversial court decisions that sparked public condemnation.
The aim is a “self-cleansing” of the bench, sources say.
The first targeted is Justice Moore Aseimo Abraham Adumein of the Court of Appeal. Justice Adumein issued a disputed order in the Kano State governorship appeal case that critics allege contained a serious typographical error.
He will face NJC sanctions for failing to catch the error, an insider shared, despite it likely being accidental on the clerk’s part. “Ignorance is no excuse in law,” they said. Both Adumein and his clerk will “take responsibility.”
The NJC has long stressed it does not shield problematic judges. The council names and shames offenders, noting the judiciary is the sole government branch enacting that accountability.
Nearly all petitions initially filed eventually get dismissed as frivolous upon reviewal, the source clarified. Yet credible claims prompt full investigations, attorneys on both sides present arguments, and guilty judges then face suspension or termination accordingly.
The NJC confirmation aligns with reports that intensive vetting sessions also quietly started this week to appoint new Supreme Court justices, as public pressure mounts for judicial reform. The screening process is expected to span multiple intensive days.
While reckoning with internal criticism, the NJC remains adamant that forging integrity and transparency is a judicial imperative. The self-probing measures aim to reinforce impartiality of rule of law as Nigeria navigates turbulent crossroads.
