The National Judicial Council has dismissed a viral report claiming that 34 lawyers failed an integrity test and were dropped from consideration for appointment as judges of the Federal High Court.
In a statement dated December 31, 2025, and signed by its Secretary, Ahmed Gambo Saleh, the council described the report as inaccurate and unauthorised.
The NJC said the claims circulating in the media did not reflect what actually happened in the judicial appointment process.
“The Council states categorically that the report is inaccurate and unauthorised, and therefore does not reflect the true position of events as they transpired at the level of the Federal Judicial Service Commission,” the statement said.
According to the council, all the processes referred to in the report were handled solely by the Federal Judicial Service Commission and not by the NJC.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the processes referenced in the report were conducted entirely at the FJSC level, and no decision or action has yet been taken by the National Judicial Council in respect of the candidates concerned,” Saleh said.
The council explained that some candidates were dropped at the FJSC stage due to negative findings from petitions submitted against them.
It added that others did not proceed further simply because they failed to meet the required qualifying score needed to advance to the interview stage before the NJC.
“The Council further clarifies that while a few candidates were indeed discontinued from the process at the FJSC level based on adverse findings arising from petitions received by the Commission, several others did not progress further simply because they failed to meet the required qualifying score,” the statement read.
The clarification followed reports that 34 nominees, including a Chief Superintendent of Police, failed an integrity test conducted by the council.
Some media reports had claimed that out of 62 applicants who passed a computer-based test conducted by the Federal High Court, only 28 were successful after an integrity screening.
However, the NJC warned that publishing speculative and incorrect information could mislead the public and damage the reputation of candidates who took part in the process.
“The publication of inaccurate and speculative details has the potential to mislead the public and unjustly impugn the reputation of candidates,” Saleh said.
The council also disclosed that it had begun internal investigations to trace the source of the unauthorised report.
It reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, fairness and due process, and urged journalists to always seek information from authorised sources when reporting on sensitive judicial matters.
