At least 34 lawyers nominated for appointment as judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (FHC) have failed the integrity test required for the position.The integrity test forms part of new guidelines approved by the National Judicial Council (NJC) under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, aimed at preventing individuals of questionable character from being appointed as judicial officers.
The affected 34 legal practitioners were among 62 applicants nominated for the Federal High Court bench but were disqualified following petitions submitted against them during the integrity screening process.A source at the NJC disclosed that only 28 nominees who received a clean bill of health during the integrity test will now proceed to face the council’s interview panel next month.The 62 applicants had earlier passed a computer-based test conducted by the Federal High Court, after which their names were forwarded to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).
In line with established procedures, the FJSC applied the integrity test policy endorsed by the current CJN by inviting public feedback on the nominees. The names of the 62 applicants were published on September 17, 2025, calling on members of the public to submit information on their integrity, reputation and suitability for judicial appointment.
One of the petitions alleged that a female nominee had obtained bribes in the course of her official duties. The matter was referred to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for investigation. Following its findings, the PSC confirmed that the nominee had demanded and received a N1 million bribe in connection with a court matter handled through her office.Based on the established facts from this and other petitions submitted by members of the public, the FJSC upheld the nomination of only 28 candidates and forwarded their names to the NJC, while dropping the remaining 34 for failing the integrity test.
The 28 shortlisted nominees are expected to be presented to the NJC at its meeting scheduled for January 2026 and will appear before the NJC interview panel a few days prior to the meeting.
Source: https://m.lindaikejisblog.com/
