…as NJC meets Jan 13 to grill 28 other applicants

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– A total of 34 lawyers who passed a Computer-Based Test (CBT) organized for applicants seeking appointment as judges of the Federal High Court have been disqualified by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).

The disqualified applicants were among 62 senior legal practitioners whose names were forwarded to the FJSC by the High Court.

The Commission, which gave a clean bill of health to only 28 persons on the list that the court sent to it, maintained that the 34 lawyers whose names were dropped failed the integrity test and were found unfit for the bench.

Vanguard learned that the National Judicial Council (NJC)—headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun—will meet on January 13 and 14, 2026, to consider issues surrounding the FHC judges’ appointments process.

This comes amid allegations that the CBT results were manipulated to favour well-connected candidates who scored below 30% and were shortlisted ahead of others who secured higher marks.

It was further alleged that, although candidates could access their individual scores post-examination, the relevant judicial authorities declined to release the complete results publicly, thus casting doubt on the integrity of the selection process.

Meanwhile, a top judicial source revealed that the 28 shortlisted nominees will face NJC’s interview panel two days before the Council’s scheduled meeting.

On how the nominees were shortlisted, the source, who pleaded not to be mentioned due to a lack of clearance to speak on the issue, insisted that the process was carried out transparently.

“There was nothing controversial about the process. The FJSC did a thorough work using the policy the CJN introduced which required public feedback on the 62 persons the Federal High Court forwarded their names.

“Accordingly, their names were published on September 17, 2025, wherein members of the public were invited to give their feedback on the nominees’ integrity, reputation, and suitability for judicial appointment.

“Several petitions were received and considered by the FJSC. The affected persons were equally afforded the opportunity to defend themselves. At the end of the process, only 28 nominees scaled through while 34 others failed the integrity test,” the source added.

For instance, one of the petitions seen by Vanguard affected a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) whose name was initially forwarded for appointment as a judge of the high court.

In the petition dated September 22, 2025, which was copied to the FJSC, the CJN, NJC, Police Service Commission (PSC), and President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the petitioner, Alh. Abubakar Yahaya, narrated how the nominated police officer allegedly forced him to pay N1million bribe.

Alh. Yahaya, through his lawyer, Mr. Sanni Abbas, said the incident occurred after he was illegally arrested at the behest of the nominee who was then the officer in charge of legal, Zone 7 Police command, Abuja.

According to the petitioner, on January 16, 2025, he got a call from security guards at his house that some policemen where around with enforcement team from the court.

He narrated that upon his return to the house, without a warrant, he was whisked away by armed police men on the basis that there was a petition against him and an instruction for his arrest by the CSP identified as Mrs. Blessing Nkechi Ezeala.

The petition alleged that he was not released on bail till he coughed out the sum of N1m which he said the nominated CSP collected through a proxy.

He disclosed that after he reported the matter, a panel of enquiry headed by the Chairman of the PSC, in its findings dated February 3, 2025, “discovered that the One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) collected by one Umar Tahir through account No:5600614399(Fidelity Bank Plc), was later sent to One Jane Ugonma Oleka with account 2055792545 an account with United Bank for Africa

“Further investigation by the Commission revealed that the sum of Nine Hundred and Ninety Flve Thousand Naira(N995,000 00) was traced from the account of the Jane Ugonma Oleka to the Account of Blessing Ezeala Nkechi who maintains an account Number with United Bank of Africa with account No 2055792545, all the transaction happened on the 16th day of January, 2025

“For ease of reference, a copy of the petition to the Commission and the report of the Police Service Commission is hereby attached as Annexture A and B for your perusal and consideration

“The character of Blessing Nkechi Ezeala (the Nominee) clearly is one that can best be described as person who clearly lacks integrity, total failure in terms of measurement of reputation and above all, highly unsuitable to be appointed as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria

“The judiclary has had its own backlash in the sight of the public but we are grateful for the leadership of the judiciary for taking bold steps in sanitizing the judicial system.

“We have our clent’s instruction to recommend the refusal of the appointment of Blessing Nkechi Ezeala as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and it is solely on the strength of the reasons hereabove stated. She is a corrupt Police officer and if appointed would only become a corrupt Judicial Officer. Our comments are only to save the judiciary from the danger ahead,” the petition further read.

Meanwhile, the high court authorities had yet to respond to the FJSC’s rejection of some of its nominees, among whom was the CSP.