Kudirat Kekere-Ekun Calls for Protection of Nigerian Judges

What changed

At the start of Nigeria’s new judicial year last month, Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun asked that judges be spared personal attacks, ridicule, threats and harassment. She made the appeal as head of the National Judicial Council, the body whose responsibility is linked to protecting the judiciary’s independence and conduct.

Why it matters

The request puts a boundary around criticism of judges: disagreement with a ruling is part of public life, but threats and harassment target the people expected to apply the law. That distinction matters because judges cannot do their work under pressure from personal abuse.

It also places responsibility on the National Judicial Council. Kekere-Ekun’s appeal is not only a plea for restraint from the public; it is a test of whether the council can protect judges while maintaining confidence in the courts. The next meaningful question is what action the council takes when attacks cross into intimidation.