By Vivian Okejeme
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended to President Bola Tinubu the appointment of 12 new justices of the Court of Appeal.
The council also disclosed that it issued queries to 256 judicial officers over “various performance-related issues.”
The NJC’s deputy director of information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, said the council reviewed 98 petitions submitted by its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees.
According to the statement: “Out of the petitions considered, 68 were dismissed for lack of merit, four Judges were cautioned, one judge received final warning, while 11 petitions were recommended for further investigation.”
The NJC added that some petitions were suspended because the matters were already before the courts.
The council also resolved to refer Mbadiwe Ossai to the Nigeria Police Force for investigation and possible prosecution over alleged perjury.
In addition, the following legal practitioners were referred to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for allegedly filing frivolous and unsubstantiated petitions against judicial officers: Adeboye Williams Adewale, Peter N. Ekemezie, Martin Odika and Muhammad Hamza Ahmad-Gana.
The council also barred Yusuf Isa from submitting further petitions.
Judges Commended, Others Queried
The NJC commended nine judges for outstanding performance during the 2024 and 2025 legal years.
According to the council, two judges will receive commendation letters for delivering more than 21 considered judgments during the review period, while seven others will receive appreciation letters for commendable performance.
At the same time, the council approved the issuance of 256 letters to judicial officers over performance-related concerns.
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