Top Abuja judge, lauded by some and slammed by others, suspended over misconduct

Nigeria’s National Judicial Council (NJC) has sanctioned Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Abuja Division — one of the better-known names on the federal bench — for serious judicial misconduct. He was suspended without pay for one year and barred from elevation to a higher court for five years.

Justice Ekwo, known for presiding over some of Nigeria’s most politically sensitive and financially significant cases, was found to have violated judicial conduct rules by delivering a ruling in a criminal matter without hearing the parties involved.

He also ignored a formal application to set aside earlier proceedings held in the absence of the concerned parties — a breach of the 2016 Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, particularly Rules 3.1 and 3.3, which demand impartiality and procedural fairness.

The NJC’s statement on Tuesday said Justice Ekwo has been placed on a five-year watchlist, effectively freezing his judicial career. His case stands out among those disciplined due to the central role his courtroom plays in shaping the outcomes of major political and corporate disputes in the federal capital.

Some of his rulings have drawn praise, others outrage. In 2022, Justice Ekwo ruled that then-Ebonyi governor David Umahi lost his office after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress – a decision Umahi claimed, without evidence, was bought. In 2023, energy firm Seplat accused Ekwo of bias and sought to have its cases reassigned. The NJC responded by warning the judge and initially barring him from promotion for two years.

The latest punishment comes as public anger mounts over widespread judicial corruption in Nigeria. Judges are increasingly perceived as enablers of impunity, with many accused of taking bribes, issuing contradictory rulings, or acting as agents of political or business interests. Judicial appointments, often driven by political connections rather than merit, have only deepened the crisis.

“The only miracle in the case of Inyang Ekwo is how he has remained on the bench until now,” said Chidi Odinkalu, a law professor at Tuft’s University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and prominent advocate for judicial reform. “He’s been one of the more predictable judges in the Federal High Court. For the past year, he’s been under caution. Now, he has been suspended for delivering judgment without hearing parties.”

The NJC also sanctioned two other judges: Justice Jane Inyang of the Court of Appeal (formerly of the Federal High Court, Uyo) and Justice Aminu Baffa Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Zamfara. Both received one-year suspensions without pay. Justice Inyang was cited for issuing improper ex-parte orders in a commercial dispute, while Justice Aliyu was faulted for restraining security agencies from their lawful duties and disregarding precedent.

Deep-rooted Problem

While the NJC’s actions may be seen as a response to increasing pressure to clean up the judiciary, doubts remain. Critics argue that true accountability rarely follows and that sanctions often amount to temporary slaps on the wrist.

“Many will see these dispositions by @njcNig as progress; maybe. But these dispositions are evidence of the deep malaise that currently afflicts the Nigerian judiciary,” Odinkalu said.

“If a person is as crooked as Jane Inyang or Inyang Ekwo, how can that person be a judge to begin with?” he asked. “And if a judge can act with such manifest impunity and still return to the bench after a year, what would it take to be removed — murder?”

He continued: “The NJC is now deeply complicit in judicial corruption. It’s handing out irresponsible slaps on the wrist with utter disregard for judicial integrity. If a judge is suspended for a year without pay, what happens when they return? They’re more likely to come back hungrier — and more corrupt.”