The National Judicial Council, NJC, has issued a warning to Justice Bello Kawu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court for granting interim bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, while a remand order issued by another judge of the same court was still in force.
The council also placed Justice Kawu on its Watch List for six months following an investigation into a petition challenging his handling of the bail application.
In a statement, the NJC said its investigation committee established that the judge knew about the existing remand order before granting Malami interim bail on December 23, 2025.
The remand order, issued by another judge of the court, was scheduled to expire at midnight on December 24, 2025.
However, the committee found that Justice Kawu granted the interim bail a day before the order was due to expire, thereby acting in conflict with the subsisting directive.
After reviewing the investigation report, the NJC accepted the committee’s findings and directed that a warning letter be issued to the judge.
The council said the decision followed its consideration of the petition and the findings of the investigation committee.