The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended a judge of the Nasarawa State High Court, Justice Hannatu Mohammed Kabir, for one year without pay over the unlawful arrest and detention of a litigant for 58 days.
The Council also barred the judge from being considered for elevation to a higher court for three years as part of disciplinary measures arising from the incident.
The sanctions were approved at 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 Wednesday, November 4, by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, the Council said it considered nine investigation reports concerning petitions against judicial officers over their conduct in various cases.
According to the statement, the investigation committee found that Justice Kabir ordered the arrest and detention of a litigant over alleged disobedience of court orders without following the legally prescribed procedures for contempt proceedings.
The committee specifically established that the judge failed to issue and serve Forms 48 and 49, which are mandatory statutory notices in contempt proceedings.
It further found that the alleged contempt was committed outside the judge’s presence and, therefore, could not lawfully be tried and punished summarily.
The committee also concluded that the judge’s actions violated the litigant’s right to fair hearing.
“The Investigation Committee found that she ordered the litigant’s arrest and detention for alleged disobedience of court orders without the issuance and service of the mandatory Forms 48 and 49 or the institution of proper contempt proceedings.
“It held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and could not lawfully be summarily tried and punished. The Committee also found that the action violated the litigant’s right to fair hearing,” the statement said.
Following the findings, the NJC adopted the committee’s recommendations and approved the one-year suspension without pay, alongside the three-year restriction on the judge’s eligibility for elevation.
Forms 48 and 49 are statutory documents used in contempt proceedings. They notify an alleged offender of the disobedience of a court order and warn of the legal consequences of continued non-compliance.
The NJC’s decision underscores the importance of due process in the exercise of judicial powers, particularly in cases involving alleged contempt of court.