TIB CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE TRANSMISSION OF NJC DECISION ON AGHOGHO PETITION BEFORE JUNE 2 COURT HEARING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAKE IT BACK MOVEMENT CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE TRANSMISSION OF NJC DECISION ON AGHOGHO PETITION BEFORE JUNE 2 COURT HEARING

The Delta State Chapter of the Take It Back Movement Nigeria hereby calls on the Secretary of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Ahmed Gambo Saleh Esq., to immediately transmit the decision of the Council concerning the petition filed by Comrade Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho to the Warri Judicial Division of the Federal High Court before the adjourned hearing date of June 2, 2026 in Charge No. FHC/WR/92C/2022 titled FGN v. Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho.

The Movement states that the petition submitted by Comrade Aghogho was officially acknowledged by the National Judicial Council through correspondence dated July 3, 2025 with reference number NJC/F.2/C.A71/1/88. According to the Council’s response, Comrade Aghogho was advised to employ appropriate legal steps concerning the revocation of his bail on June 16, 2025.

The petition reportedly contained serious allegations bordering on judicial misconduct, corruption, abuse of court process, and violations of fundamental human rights against Justices M.I. Sani and H.A. Nganjiwa respectively.

The Movement is compelled to make this urgent demand because of the disturbing antecedents associated with the office of the Secretary of the National Judicial Council. We recall that Ahmed Gambo Saleh Esq. previously signed controversial NJC reports dated September 23, 2019 referenced NJC/DE.HC/10/II/96 and NJC/DE.HC/10/II/94 respectively, which allegedly indicated that a former Chief Judge of Delta State,Justice Marshal Umukoro (retired) investigated himself over allegations involving corruption and child trafficking through the Delta State Judiciary.

We further note that the National Judicial Council, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, held its 111th meeting on May 13, 2026 where significant disciplinary actions were taken against judicial officers over misconduct-related allegations, reaffirming the Council’s commitment to judicial accountability and institutional integrity.

The Movement also references proceedings conducted on May 12, 2026 in Charge No. FHC/WR/92C/2022 where Justice H.A. Nganjiwa reportedly informed counsel to Comrade Aghogho, Barrister Andrew Elekeokwuri Esq., that he would neither hear nor transfer the matter pending directives from the appropriate judicial authorities concerning a reassignment application already before relevant authorities.

According to reports from the proceedings, the continued delay in determining the reassignment application, combined with the prosecution of the activist, raises serious concerns regarding judicial impartiality, procedural fairness, abuse of process, and public confidence in the administration of justice.

The prosecution of Comrade Aghogho has continued to generate widespread public attention following sustained campaigns by the Take It Back Movement Nigeria and other civil society organizations who maintain that the activist’s arrest, prolonged detention, and prosecution are connected to his whistleblowing activities concerning alleged child trafficking, unlawful adoption practices, commercialization of children, and systemic failures within child protection institutions in Delta State and other parts of Nigeria.

The Movement further notes that the recent inauguration by the Federal Government of a Committee for the Review of the Child Rights Act, 2003 amounts to institutional acknowledgment that significant legal and administrative deficiencies exist within Nigeria’s child welfare and adoption framework.

Consequently, the Take It Back Movement calls for urgent judicial and administrative intervention to ensure the fair, transparent, impartial, and expeditious resolution of all pending constitutional and legal issues connected to the matter while also urging broader reforms aimed at strengthening judicial accountability, whistleblower protection, prosecutorial transparency, adoption regulation, and child protection enforcement in Nigeria.

Signed:
Comrade Ochuko Etu
State Coordinator
Take It Back Movement Nigeria
Delta State Chapter
May 31, 2026