NBA Chairman Petitions Kwara JSC Over Judges’ Alleged Misconduct, Arrest Warrant
The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gwagwalada Branch, Abuja, N.D. Abdulsalam, has petitioned the Kwara State Judicial Service Commission over the conduct of two judges of the Upper Area Court 3, Ilorin, accusing them of gross judicial misconduct, abuse of court process, corruption and violation of his constitutional right to fair hearing.
Abdulsalam, a legal practitioner based in the Federal Capital Territory, accused Hon. Y.O. Abdulhamid and Hon. P.A. Agboola of issuing a warrant of arrest against him in a criminal defamation case instituted by Lieutenant Colonel Nurudeen Yusuf Alowonle, an aide to President Bola Tinubu, before he was served with the relevant court processes.
In the petition addressed to the Chairman of the Kwara State Judicial Service Commission, Abdulsalam explained that the judges issued the arrest warrant on October 29, 2026, while a criminal summons was also issued directing him to appear before the court on November 3, 2026.
He said he was unaware of the case and had not received any court process before officers of the Kwara State Police Headquarters contacted him between November 2 and 3, 2026, informing him that they wanted to execute the arrest warrant.
According to him, the development came as a surprise because he had not been formally notified of any pending criminal proceedings against him.
The petition, titled “Petition Against Hon. Y.O. Abdulhamid and Hon. P.A. Agboola, Judges of the Upper Area Court 3, Ilorin, Kwara State, for Gross Judicial Misconduct, Abuse of Court Process, Corruption and Blatant Breach of Constitutional Right to Fair Hearing,” called for an immediate investigation into the judges’ handling of the case and appropriate disciplinary action if the allegations are established.
Abdulsalam stated that a Direct Criminal Complaint dated October 28, 2026, had been filed against him by Lt. Col. Nurudeen Yusuf Alowonle before the two judges over criminal defamation of character.
He said he only became aware of the warrant of arrest and criminal summons on November 4, 2026, after encountering the documents on Facebook.
According to the petition, the documents were published on the Facebook page of an associate of the complainant, identified as Engr. Owoeye Adewole.
Abdulsalam said the warrant of arrest and criminal summons were both dated October 29, 2026, with the summons directing him to appear in court on November 3.
He questioned why the court issued an arrest warrant before ensuring that he had been served with the criminal complaint and given an opportunity to appear before it.
The lawyer further said that the court subsequently issued another criminal summons directing him to appear on November 10, 2026.
He said that on the evening of Friday, November 6, 2026, he received copies of the Direct Criminal Complaint dated October 28, the criminal summons dated October 29, and an order for substituted service granted by the court on November 3.
According to him, the order for substituted service showed that the court had not been able to serve him through the earlier process, even though police officers had already contacted him in Abuja to execute the arrest warrant on November 2.
In the petition, Abdulsalam described the sequence of events as a judicially procured ambush, stating that the process exposed him to arrest before he had been properly notified of the proceedings.
He wrote: “The said order for substituted service then confirmed that I was never served any of the processes yet officers from Kwara State Police Headquarters were already in Abuja to execute the warrant of arrest on 2nd November, 2026.”
He further explained that the judges failed to observe the procedural steps required to summon a defendant and serve the relevant court documents before resorting to an arrest warrant.
“The procedural steps of the court to summon Defendant, serve same for the attendance of the Defendant in court before warrant of arrest is issued against a Defendant who failed to honour the summons was deliberately skipped and hurried,” he stated in his affidavit.
Abdulsalam argued that the actions violated his right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended.
He maintained that issuing an arrest warrant without first ensuring that he had been properly served with the court processes amounted to an abuse of judicial authority and could be used to intimidate and harass defendants.
In his affidavit of facts filed before the High Court of Kwara State in the Ilorin Judicial Division, Abdulsalam identified himself as the defendant in the case of Lt. Col. Nurudeen Yusuf Alowonle v. N.D. Abdulsalam, Esq., with suit number UAC III/WCRFJ/41/2026A.
He stated that the facts contained in the affidavit were within his personal knowledge, having been directly affected by the proceedings.
The affidavit also repeated his allegation that the warrant of arrest and criminal summons were issued on October 29, while police officers contacted him between November 2 and 3 to execute the warrant.
He said the documents later circulated online were the first indication he had received that criminal proceedings had been initiated against him.
Abdulsalam also accused the judges of descending into the arena of justice and acting in a manner that, in his view, suggested they were serving the interests of the complainant rather than maintaining judicial neutrality.
He stated in the affidavit: “The Court has descended into the arena of justice having issued processes depicting court witch-hunts, thereby serving as agents of the Complainant to mete out pre-trial punishment on me.”
The lawyer said the Judicial Service Commission to conduct an immediate, thorough and transparent investigation into the conduct of the two judges in handling the criminal complaint filed by Lt. Col. Nurudeen Yusuf.
He also requested that the judges be sanctioned and disciplined if found culpable, arguing that such action would serve as a deterrent against judicial misconduct and abuse of court processes.
“My Lord, the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man. Left unchecked, actions of this nature will completely erode public confidence in our courts. I trust that Your Lordship will act decisively to safeguard the sanctity and integrity of the Kwara State Judiciary,” he stated.
The petition was copied to the Chief Judge of the High Court of Justice, Ilorin; the Attorney-General of Kwara State and Commissioner for Justice; the Director of Area Courts at the High Court Complex, Ilorin; and the Chairman of the NBA, Ilorin Branch.
Earlier, the Offa Descendants Union (ODU) accused Colonel Nurudeen Yusuf, Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and traditional ruler of Ilemona in Kwara State, of being linked to intimidation, harassment, land encroachment and threats against residents and farmers in communities bordering Offa.
The Union also raised concerns over the alleged deployment of individuals described as militia groups against residents, demanding the release of a detained resident, Mr. Suwara Agundingbadi, if there is no lawful basis for his continued detention.
ODU further expressed solidarity with an Offa-born lawyer, Nurudeen Temitope Abdulsalam, who it said had raised concerns over alleged intimidation and threats to his life.
The concerns were contained in a communiqué issued by the Union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) following an emergency meeting held on Friday, November 6, 2026. The communiqué, dated November 7, was signed by the Global President, Dr. Alhaji Muideen Azeez Olaniyi Salako, and Global Secretary, Otunba Dr. Rauf Abiodun Oladipo.
According to the Union, tensions between Offa and neighbouring Ilemona have reportedly escalated over the past two years, particularly following the emergence of Colonel Yusuf as the traditional ruler of Ilemona after his father’s death.
