diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_masked_lowering.py b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_masked_lowering.py
index 7c2bc5433f79..3be1a3bf6026 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_masked_lowering.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_masked_lowering.py
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@
 import cupy as cp
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
-
-pytest.importorskip("numba_cuda_mlir")
-
 from numba_cuda_mlir import (
     cuda,
     types,
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_masked_typing.py b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_masked_typing.py
index b5de5aa7aca2..20372a64d34f 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_masked_typing.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_masked_typing.py
@@ -2,10 +2,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import pytest
-
-pytest.importorskip("numba_cuda_mlir")
-
 from numba_cuda_mlir import types
 
 from cudf.core.udf.mlir_backend.masked_typing import (
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_plumbing.py b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_plumbing.py
index 4acd532fe875..c5a621e14ff0 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_plumbing.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/private_objects/mlir_backend/test_plumbing.py
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
-# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026, NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-import pytest
-
-pytest.importorskip("numba_cuda_mlir")
 
 
 def test_mlir_backend_package_importable():