Thirty-four lawyers nominated for appointment as judges of Nigeria’s Federal High Court have been disqualified after failing an integrity screening conducted by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The integrity test, endorsed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, is aimed at ensuring that only persons of proven character and credibility are appointed as judicial officers.

The affected lawyers were among 62 applicants earlier shortlisted for the Federal High Court bench but were dropped following adverse petitions received during the screening process.

Sources at the NJC disclosed that only 28 nominees who passed the integrity test and received a clean bill of health would now appear before the council’s interview panel scheduled for next month.

According to a source, the 62 applicants had earlier passed a Computer-Based Test (CBT) conducted by the Federal High Court, after which their names were forwarded to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).

In line with established procedures, the FJSC published the names of the nominees on Sept. 17, 2025, inviting members of the public to submit information on their integrity, reputation and suitability for judicial appointment.

One of the petitions alleged that a female nominee demanded and received bribes in the course of her official duties. The matter was subsequently referred to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for investigation.

The source said the PSC’s investigation reportedly confirmed that the nominee demanded and received a bribe of N1 million in connection with a court matter handled by her office.

Based on the findings from that and other petitions, the FJSC upheld only 28 nominations and forwarded their names to the NJC, while the remaining 34 nominees were dropped for failing the integrity screening.