A coalition of Nigerian civil rights activists, Civil Society Engagement Platform (CSEP), has unveiled a gargantuan age falsification scandal involving eighteen judges of the Imo State Judiciary.
The discovery, detailed in a petition addressed to the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, points to a systemic breach of integrity that threatens public confidence in the judiciary.
The petition, signed by Comrade Ndubuisi Onyemaechi, CSEP’s Director of Investigation, accuses the judges of manipulating their dates of birth on official documents to either prolong their tenure or secure judicial appointments. The discrepancies appear across various records, including Nominal Rolls, Law School Forms, Statutory Declarations of Age, DSS Reports, and other official submissions. CSEP has backed its claims with hard evidence, annexed as Exhibits 001 to 018, which it says establish a prima facie case against the judges’ honesty and integrity.
The petitioners listed the following judges:
- Hon. Justice I. O. Agugua, with conflicting birth dates of May 10, 1959, and May 10, 1960, and additional allegations of gross misconduct.
- Hon. Justice C. A. Ononeze-Madu, with birth dates listed as July 7, 1963, and July 7, 1965.
- Hon. Justice L. C. Azuama, showing birth dates of November 11, 1957, and November 11, 1960.
- Hon. Justice B. C. Iheka, with records indicating December 24, 1958, and December 24, 1962.
- Hon. Justice M. E. Nwagbaoso, with a significant discrepancy between August 20, 1952, and August 20, 1962.
- Hon. Justice Kechinyere Leweanya, with multiple conflicting dates: April 26, 1968; 1970; 1972; and 1974.
Others include Hon. Justices P. U. Nnodum, Vincent I. Onyeka, Vivian O. B. Ekezie, Alma Ngozi Eluwa, Okereke Chinyere Ngozi, Innocent Chidi Theawuchi, Mathew Chinedu Ijezie, Ononogbo Chidi Linus, Tennyson Nze, Ofoha Uchenna, Everyman Eleanya, and Rosemond Ibe — each with documented inconsistencies in their birth records.
The rights group’s inquest equally unravelled evidence of code of conduct violations by Hon. Justice I. O. Agugua, further questioning her suitability as a judicial officer. The coalition emphasized that judicial officers are bound by a code requiring them to avoid impropriety, respect the law, and uphold public confidence in the judiciary’s integrity.
This is not CSEP’s first foray into exposing judicial misconduct. The group previously blew the whistle on age falsification by the former Chief Judge of Imo State, Hon. Justice Chikeka, leading to her dismissal after NJC investigations confirmed CSEP’s allegations. Through covert operations and citizen collaboration via toll-free lines, CSEP has consistently unearthed corruption, perjury, and human rights violations across various government levels.
The petition referenced past NJC actions to underscore the gravity of the offense:
- In 2013, the NJC recommended the compulsory retirement of Abia State’s Acting Chief Judge, Mr. Nwanosike Shadrack, for age falsification.
- In 2020, Hon. Justice Abdul-Kareem Babatunde Abdulrasaq of Osun State was retired for falsifying his birth date, with orders to refund salaries earned post-retirement.
- In 2018, the NJC backdated the retirement of Delta State’s Hon.. Justice Joshua E. Ikede to 2016 after confirming age falsification, requiring him to repay salaries received thereafter.
CSEP noted that it had raised the issue with the Imo State Judicial Service Commission on February 20, 2025, but received no response. The coalition warned that failure to act could trigger massive protests to shut down the Commission’s office, labeling its inaction as complicity in the scandal.
Quoting the Director General of the United States Law Institute, who recently described Nigeria’s judicial system as suffering a “crisis of confidence,” CSEP argued that such scandals reinforce negative global perceptions. “As much as we try to debunk these views, the actions of some judges make it difficult,” said Comrade Onyemaechi. “We are fighting to restore faith in our judiciary, and we trust that the NJC, under Honourable Justice Kekere-Ekun’s leadership, will act decisively.”
CSEP congratulated Justice Kekere-Ekun on her appointment as Chief Justice, expressing confidence in her commitment to upholding the judiciary’s integrity. The coalition urged the NJC to investigate the allegations promptly and take appropriate action to prevent further ridicule of the judicial system.
Credit: The Nigeria Lawyer
