A child rights advocate and human rights defender, Comrade Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, has formally petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, requesting urgent disciplinary action against two judges of the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State.
The petition, dated June 2025, accuses Honourable Justice M.I. Sani (currently a Justice of the Court of Appeal) and Honourable Justice Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa of misconduct, judicial abuse, and infringement on his constitutional rights in relation to Charge No: FHC/WR/92C/2022. The activist also names senior officials of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, alongside Mr. Pius Iorzua, Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, as part of an alleged conspiracy involving tampering with court records, unlawful bail revocation, and extortion.
Aghogho alleges that a dubious letter, dated April 8, 2024, and purportedly authored by state counsel Mr. J.A. Amahi, was illegally inserted into the case file by Justice Sani. He claims the letter, introduced without due process or notification to his legal team, was used to invalidate the surety granted for his bail—despite that surety being affirmed by the court on March 21, 2024.
According to the petition, the insertion of the document was carried out secretly by the Deputy Chief Registrar, who allegedly bypassed standard filing procedures. Aghogho further alleges that he was extorted by court officials, who demanded ₦500,000 as part of bail processing, only for his bail to be suddenly revoked on June 16, 2025.
He describes the revocation as retaliatory, stemming from a lawful publication by Daily Post Nigeria that highlighted issues in the case. He maintains the article did not breach his bail terms, which only prohibit false or defamatory publications, and he insists he had no hand in the publication itself.
In the same petition, Aghogho raises concerns over judicial propriety, alleging that following the bail revocation, Justice Nganjiwa summoned the police prosecutor and key witness, S.B. Irabor, to a private meeting in his chambers. The meeting reportedly took place without the presence of defense counsel and in breach of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.
He supports this claim with an open court statement from State Counsel Onojovwo, Esq., who reportedly admitted that the prosecuting team could no longer proceed due to the death of the Investigating Police Officer and the absence of other key witnesses.
Aghogho also says he fears for his life, citing credible intelligence of a plot to eliminate him during his ongoing detention. He links this threat to his activism against child trafficking and judicial corruption, and to what he describes as a broader campaign to silence his efforts.
In the petition addressed to the NJC, he wrote: “I am a Nigerian citizen, child rights advocate, human rights defender, anti-child trafficking campaigner, and former Delta State Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement. I respectfully submit this petition to Your Lordship and members of the NJC, seeking immediate intervention over judicial misconduct, corruption, and the violation of my fundamental rights in the case of Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, Charge No: FHC/WR/92C/2022.”
He continued: “On April 18, 2024, a fraudulent and unfiled letter dated April 8, 2024, authored by Mr. J.A. Amahi of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, was smuggled into court records by Justice M.I. Sani without informing my counsel. The letter attacked a surety that had already been judicially approved. This backdoor insertion, facilitated by Deputy Chief Registrar Pius Iorzua, denied my legal team any opportunity to respond, constituting a gross abuse of office and a deliberate obstruction of justice.”
On the Daily Post article that allegedly triggered his bail revocation, Aghogho argued that it was based on public records and lawful under the Evidence Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. “There was no court order barring media coverage of the case. My bail condition strictly prohibits false publications. In this case, nothing false was published, and I had no editorial control over the article in question.”
He added: “Despite the absence of a formal application to revoke my bail, and the lack of witnesses to sustain the prosecution’s case, I am still being held in detention—an unlawful act that violates my constitutional rights.”
He further revealed that immediately after the revocation on June 16, 2025, Justice Nganjiwa instructed SP Orawemen Vincent (O/C Legal, Area Command, Warri) to summon S.B. Irabor to his chambers. “This ex parte communication is a clear breach of Article 2.8 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers,” Aghogho stated.
During that court session, the petitioner notes, when Justice Nganjiwa inquired about the witnesses, State Counsel Onojovwo, Esq., responded publicly that the IPO had died and that the other witnesses could not be located. “Yet, I remain detained, which suggests state-backed retaliation against my person and cause,” Aghogho said.
He urged the NJC to take immediate steps to secure his release, launch a thorough investigation into the alleged misconduct by court officials, and institute disciplinary measures against those involved, including Mr. Iorzua, the Deputy Chief Registrar, and Delta State Attorney-General Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, SAN.
In addition, he is requesting the NJC to probe registry practices at the Federal High Court in Warri, with specific reference to Charge No: FHC/WR/92C/2022. Aghogho is also seeking federal intervention to safeguard his life amidst claims of an assassination plot.
In his concluding remarks, Aghogho stated: “This petition is submitted in good faith, in defense of judicial integrity, human rights, and the Nigerian Constitution. I appeal to the NJC under Your Lordship’s leadership to act swiftly and uphold the tenets of justice in the face of these serious violations.”
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