NJC Shortlists 28 as 34 Fail Integrity Test Judges’ Appointment
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has disclosed that 34 applicants, including a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), failed the integrity screening conducted as part of the ongoing judges’ appointment process.
The council made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, explaining that although 62 applicants passed the Computer-Based Test (CBT) conducted by the Federal High Court, only 28 nominees emerged successful after the integrity test administered by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).
According to the NJC, the 62 candidates who passed the CBT were forwarded to the FJSC in line with the integrity policy recently introduced by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
Upon assuming office, Justice Kekere-Ekun introduced a public-feedback-based integrity screening process for judicial appointments, allowing members of the public to submit petitions or comments on shortlisted nominees.
The NJC stated, “Sixty-two applicants passed the CBT conducted by the Federal High Court. Their names were forwarded to the FJSC. In line with the policy introduced by the CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the FJSC published the names of the 62 nominees to invite public feedback on their integrity, reputation and suitability for judicial appointment. The publication was made on September 17, 2025.”
One petition, sighted by the media, accused a serving CSP of demanding bribes and lacking the integrity required for judicial office.
The petition, submitted by a legal practitioner on behalf of a client, alleged that the officer had a reputation for soliciting bribes and was therefore unsuitable for appointment as a judge.
According to the petition, the CSP, while serving as Officer-in-Charge of the Legal Section at the Zone 7 Police Command in Abuja, allegedly demanded N1m through a proxy to grant bail during a court enforcement exercise on January 16, 2025.
The petitioners claimed that the Police Service Commission investigated the matter and traced the money to the CSP’s account, which they said demonstrated a lack of integrity.
They commended the judiciary for introducing the integrity screening process, describing it as a necessary step to restore public confidence in the justice system.
“She is a corrupt police officer and, if appointed, would only become a corrupt judicial officer,” the petitioners stated while urging the NJC to reject her nomination.
Following the public feedback process, the FJSC forwarded only 28 names to the NJC, with 34 nominees failing the integrity test.
The NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Ogedengbe, confirmed that the council would meet on January 13 and 14 to deliberate on issues arising from the selection process.
She said the 28 shortlisted nominees would appear before the council’s interview panel ahead of the meeting, adding that the NJC remained committed to transparency and high ethical standards under the leadership of Justice Kekere-Ekun.
