The National Judicial Council (NJC) has commenced a far-reaching but discreet investigation into allegations of corruption leveled against some highly placed judicial officers, including heads of courts, multiple insiders have disclosed.

The NJC, Nigeria’s constitutional body responsible for the appointment, promotion and discipline of judicial officers, is said to have initiated what sources described as an “extraordinary investigation” following a wave of petitions alleging serious misconduct against unnamed senior judges.

The 24-member council is chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and derives its powers from Paragraph 20 of Part One of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Premium Times, an online platform based in Nigeria, quoted officials familiar with the development, saying that the ongoing probe was triggered by “damning and disturbing petitions” submitted to the council in recent months.

“The allegation against one of the senior judges is so grave that the Chief Justice has ordered an urgent probe to identify culpable individuals and cleanse the judiciary,” a source told PREMIUM TIMES. The source it was learnt, revealed that the inquest is being conducted under strict confidentiality and is known only to a limited circle within the NJC.

Another official who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed that the NJC had received multiple complaints alleging serious infractions, including misconduct, forgery, age falsification and false asset declarations.

“I can tell you that the NJC has, in recent times, received several petitions and complaints alleging serious and shocking misconduct,” the source said. “Deeply disturbed by the weight of the allegations, the CJN is mobilising the NJC for urgent administrative action. She does not want these claims to further erode public confidence in the judiciary.”

The identities of the judges under investigation and the petitioners were not disclosed. Sources said they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

When contacted for official confirmation, Tobi Soniyi, Senior Special Assistant to the CJN on Media, said he had not been briefed on the matter and directed enquiries to the NJC.

Similarly, the NJC’s Deputy Director (Information), Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, was quoted by PREMIUM TIMES as saying that she was unaware of any such probe.

Justice Kekere-Ekun had, in September 2025 during the ceremony marking the commencement of the 2025/2026 legal year, pledged sweeping reforms to promote judicial excellence, transparency and effective justice administration.

Earlier, at her swearing-in as acting CJN in August 2024, she acknowledged that public confidence in the judiciary was waning — a trend she vowed to reverse.

While it remains unclear how far the reform agenda has progressed, the NJC under her leadership has taken a number of disciplinary actions against erring judicial officers.

On 15 November 2024, the council announced the compulsory retirement of two judges, suspended two others for two years, and issued a formal warning to another. It also constituted seven investigative committees to examine allegations of judicial misconduct against several other judges.

Seven months later, on 26 June 2025, the NJC compulsorily retired 10 judges, cautioned five others, and barred a judge of the National Industrial Court from promotion for three years.

The latest reported probe, if confirmed, would signal a continuation of the council’s disciplinary drive and its effort to restore credibility to Nigeria’s judiciary at a time of heightened public scrutiny.

For now, the council has maintained official silence on the investigation, leaving questions about the scope and potential implications of the inquiry unanswered. (Text, excluding headline: The Sun)

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