34 Lawyers Fail Integrity Screening for Federal High Court Appointments

Thirty-four lawyers have been disqualified from consideration for appointment as judges of the Federal High Court after failing an integrity screening conducted under new guidelines approved by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The integrity test, endorsed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, is designed to prevent individuals with unresolved ethical or character concerns from being appointed to the bench.

The affected lawyers were part of 62 candidates earlier shortlisted for the Federal High Court. However, petitions submitted against them during the public scrutiny stage of the process led to their disqualification.

Sources at the NJC confirmed that only 28 candidates, who received no adverse findings during the screening, will proceed to appear before the council’s interview panel scheduled for next month.

The selection process began with a Computer-Based Test (CBT) conducted by the Federal High Court, which all 62 candidates passed. Their names were subsequently forwarded to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).

In line with procedure, the FJSC published the names of the shortlisted candidates on September 17, 2025, inviting members of the public to submit information on their integrity, reputation, and suitability for judicial office.

One of the petitions alleged that a female nominee demanded and received bribes in the course of her official duties. The matter was referred to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for investigation. According to sources, the PSC established that the nominee demanded and received N1 million in connection with a court matter handled by her office.

Following a review of that case and other petitions, the FJSC approved only 28 candidates and forwarded their names to the NJC, while the remaining 34 were dropped for failing the integrity test.