….How Rivalry, Back-Biting Ravaged Imo Judiciary
On June 25th, 2025, a thunderstorm hit the Imo State judiciary with the National Judicial Council, NJC approving the compulsory retirement of about eleven judges.
The council at the resolution during its 109th meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere Ekun approved the retirement which includes ten judges from Imo State.
NJC Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Ogedengbe in a statement stated that
“Nine of the affected judges of the Imo State Judiciary were found to have altered their dates of birth in their official records in order to confer on themselves the undue advantage of staying longer in service,”
The statement noted that “the nine judges found to have falsified their records, comprising five High Court judges and four judges of the Customary Court of Appeal in Imo State.
“They include: Justice M. E. Nwagboso (High Court), Justice B. C. Iheka (High Court), Justice K. A. Leaweanya (High Court), Justice Okereke Chinyere Ngozi (High Court), Justice Innocent Chidi Ibeawuchi (High Court), Justice Tennyson Nze (Customary Court of Appeal), Justice Ofoha Uchenna (Customary Court of Appeal), Justice Everyman Eleanya (Customary Court of Appeal), Justice Rosemond Ibe (Customary Court of Appeal).
Trumpeta investigation revealed that back-biting and in-fighting bouyed by jealousy factor among the judges were responsible for the sad tales in Imo Judiciary.
It was gathered that trouble began when the forgery case of the former Chief Judge of the State, Justice Theresa Chiekeka was compulsory retired over age falsification.
Aggrieved judicial officers were said to have opened shady deals in the judiciary that saw to the discovery that many of the judges were enmeshed in age falsification scandal.
