The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended three judges for one year without pay and cautioned eight others over various acts of misconduct, including unlawful detention, abuse of judicial powers and disregard for due process.

Hannatu Kabir was suspended for ordering the arrest and detention of a litigant for 58 days over alleged disobedience of a court order without initiating proper contempt proceedings or serving the mandatory Forms 48 and 49.

The second judicial officer, Kadi Salihu, was suspended for reopening a judgement that had already been delivered, an action the NJC reportedly considered beyond his judicial authority.

Also, Sobere Biambo was suspended over his involvement in a civil dispute in which he ordered the arrest of litigants and imposed a ₦300,000 fine without initiating proper contempt proceedings or serving the prescribed forms.

The council also cautioned Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court over his handling of post-judgement garnishee proceedings in a suit involving First Bank of Nigeria Plc.

In separate disciplinary decisions, the NJC approved warnings and cautions for other judicial officers. They include Bello Kawu, who granted interim bail to a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, despite an existing remand order issued by another judge.

Danjuma Oyigbenu and Isa Kana also received warning letters for delivering judgements in an appeal outside the constitutionally prescribed 90-day period.

Other judicial officers cautioned or placed on the council’s watch list include Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court for making orders after being informed that an appeal had been entered at the Court of Appeal; C. A Ogbuagor of the Enugu State High Court for continuing proceedings despite a pending appeal and application for stay; and Chibuike Azuama of the Imo State High Court for granting an ex parte garnishee order freezing the accounts of Puma Energy, a company that was not a party to the original law suit.

The council directed that investigations should continue into a petition against G.N Ugbala of the Ebonyi State High Court despite the petitioner’s notice of withdrawal.