Nigerian Judge Faces Sanctions for Jailing Litigants, Imposing ₦300,000 Fines Without Due Process
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended Justice Sobere Biambo of the Rivers State High Court for one year without pay over his handling of a civil dispute in which he ordered the arrest of litigants and imposed N300,000 fines on each of them without following due legal procedures.
The Council also barred the judge from being considered for promotion to a higher court for three years.
The disciplinary decision was reached during the NJC’s 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
In a statement issued on November 4, the Council disclosed that it reviewed nine investigation reports relating to petitions against judicial officers over their conduct in handling various cases.
According to the NJC, its Investigation Committee established that Justice Biambo ordered the arrest of some petitioners for allegedly violating an interim injunction and subsequently fined each of them N300,000.
However, the committee found that the judge took the action without initiating formal contempt proceedings or serving the affected litigants with the mandatory Forms 48 and 49.
The committee further established that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and, therefore, could not legally be handled through summary proceedings.
Following the findings, the NJC approved the recommendation to suspend the judge for one year without salary and restrict his eligibility for elevation for three years.
The Council said the disciplinary measure was among several decisions taken against judicial officers following investigations into complaints about their professional conduct.
