A public interest group, TAP Initiative, has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to move beyond “mere warnings” and ensure that judges suspended for criminal misconduct face prosecution.
The group said that simply suspending judicial officers accused of offences such as age falsification and other criminal breaches undermines public confidence in the judiciary.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja over the weekend by TAP Initiative’s Executive Director, Martin Obono, while reviewing Justice Kekere-Ekun’s performance one year after assuming office as CJN.
The group criticised what it described as “soft disciplinary measures” against erring judges, warning that such actions failed to deter misconduct in the judiciary.
“While we commend her for overseeing the retirement of judges based on age and investigating allegations of falsified ages, her leadership style appears risk-averse, relying on speeches and moral persuasion rather than structural reforms. For a judiciary in crisis, this is insufficient,” the statement read.
TAP Initiative noted that although the National Judicial Council (NJC) had suspended or retired some judges, including the Chief Judge of Imo State and others found to have falsified their ages, the sanctions remained inadequate because many of the offences were criminal in nature.
The group cited the suspension of Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for delivering a ruling without hearing parties; and Justice Jane E. Inyang of the Court of Appeal, Uyo, for issuing questionable ex parte orders. It argued that such misconduct should have been referred for criminal prosecution rather than limited to disciplinary action.
On judicial reforms, TAP Initiative faulted the CJN’s push for digital transformation, saying her e-filing and virtual court process agenda had shown “limited evidence of systematic implementation.”
It also expressed concern over the huge backlog of cases, noting that while the Supreme Court Rules 2024 introduced measures such as electronic filing and fast-track procedures, there was no clear progress on reducing the over 243,000 pending cases in the higher courts.
The group further warned that the misuse of ex parte orders in political cases remained unaddressed, raising fears ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On public trust, TAP Initiative observed that despite the CJN’s cautious approach to appointments—contrasting with her predecessor’s tenure, which was marred by allegations of nepotism and corruption—confidence in the judiciary had not improved.
It also decried the dependence of judges on executive largesse, such as houses and cars provided by state governors, describing it as a threat to judicial independence.
Concluding its review, TAP Initiative acknowledged that Justice Kekere-Ekun had clearly articulated the judiciary’s challenges but maintained that “the gap between identified priorities and visible outcomes remains significant.”
