Chief Judge Releases Postings For 23 New Judges
Sequel to the appointment of 23 new judges, the Honorable Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, has released a new posting of the court’s judges to various divisions across the country. The Chief Judge directed the affected judges to report at their duty stations before the date of resumption from the Christmas vacation, being the 8th day of January, 2023. In a statement signed by the Assistant Director Information of the court, Catherine Oby Christopher, PhD, on Wednesday, the CJ wished his fellow lordships a wonderful vacation in advance. Below is the list of judges and their new postings: 1. ABUJA : 1. HON. JUSTICE J.T. TSOHO — Chief Judge 2. HON. JUSTICE G.K. OLOTU 3. HON. JUSTICE B.F.M. NYAKO 4. HON. JUSTICE R.N. OFILI- AJUMOGOBIA 5. HON. JUSTICE A.R. MOHAMMED 6. HON. JUSTICE I. E. EKWO 7. HON. JUSTICE D.U. OKOROWO 8. HON. JUSTICE JOYCE OBEHI ABDULMALIK 9. HON. JUSTICE JAMES KOLAWALE OMOTOSHO 10. HON. JUSTICE EMEKA NWITE 11. HON. JUSTICE OBIORA ATUEGWU EGWUATU 12. HON. JUSTICE MOBOLAJI OLUBUKOLA OLAJUWON 13. HON. JUSTICE NKEONYE EVELYN MAHA 2. UMUAHIA -ABIA 1. HON. JUSTICE SUNDAY ONU 2. HON. JUSTICE MUSA KAKAKI 3. YENAGOA — BAYELSA 1. HON. JUSTICE ISA HAMMA ADAMA DASHEN 2. HON. JUSTICE SALIM OLASUPO IBRAHIM 4. BENIN -EDO 1. HON. JUSTICE S. M. SHUAIBU 2. HON. JUSTICE CHUKA AUSTINE OBIOZOR 5. BIRNIN KEBBI.- KEBBI 1. HON. JUSTICE EMMANUEL GAKKO 6. KADUNA 1. HON. JUSTICE R.M. AIKAWA 2. HON. JUSTICE HAWAU BUHARI 7. KANO 1. HON. JUSTICE A.M. LIMAN 2. HON. JUSTICE M.N. YUNUSA 3. HON. JUSTICE S.A. AMOBEDA 8. LAGOS 1. HON. JUSTICE J.T. TSOHO – Chief Judge 2. HON. JUSTICE A.O. FAJI 3. HON. JUSTICE A. LEWIS -ALLAGOA 4. HON. JUSTICE C.J. ANEKE 5. HON. JUSTICE YELLIM S. BOGORO 6. HON. JUSTICE DANIEL EMEKA OSIAGOR 7. HON. JUSTICE AKINTAYO ALUKO 8. HON. JUSTICE PETER ODO LIFU 9. HON. JUSTICE ABIMBOLA O. AWOGBORO 10. HON. JUSTICE DIPEOLU DEINDE ISAAC 11. HON. JUSTICE OGUNDARE KEHINDE OLAYIWOLA 12. HON. JUSTICE IBRAHIM AHMAD KALA 13. HON. JUSTICE OGAZI FRIDAY NKEMAKONAM 9. ILORIN -KWARA 1. HON. JUSTICE EVELYN NMASINULO ANYADIKE 2. HON. JUSTICE ARIWOOLA OLUKAYODE JNR. 10. AKURE – ONDO 1. HON. JUSTICE TOYIN BOLAJI ADEGOKE. 2. HON. JUSTICE OWOEYE ALEXANDER OLUSEYI 11. IBADAN -OYO 1. HON. JUSTICE UCHE N. AGOMOH 2. HON. JUSTICE EKERETE UDOFOT AKPA 12. ABEOKUTA -OGUN 1. HON. JUSTICE A.A. OKEKE 2. HON. JUSTICE ADEFUNMILOLA ADEKEMI DEMI – AJAYI 13. ADO -EKITI, EKITI 1. HON. JUSTICE B.O. KUEWUMI 2. HON. JUSTICE B.O. QUADRI 14. ASABA- DELTA 1. HON. JUSTICE F.A. OLUBANJO 2. HON. JUSTICE AGBAJE OLUFUNMILOLA ADETUTU 15. AWKA – ANAMBRA 1. HON. JUSTICE NNAMDI DIMGBA 16. ABAKALIKI – EBONYI 1. HON. JUSTICE HYELADZIRA AJIYA NGANJUWA 2. HON. JUSTICE M.T. SEGUN- BELLO 17. OWERRI -IMO 1. HON. JUSTICE INIEKENIMI NICHOLAS OWEIBO 2. HON. JUSTICE WIGWE-OREH CHITURU JOY 18. WARRI- DELTA HON. JUSTICE I.M. SANI 19. PORT HARCOURT —RIVERS 1. HON. JUSTICE P.I. AJOKU 2. HON. JUSTICE E.A. OBILE 3. HON. JUSTICE PHEOBE MSUEN AYUA 4. HON. JUSTICE STEPHEN DAYLOP PAM 5. HON. JUSTICE ADAMU TURAKI MOHAMMED 6. HON. JUSTICE SA’ADATU IBRAHIM MARK 20. CALABAR — CROSS – RIVER 1. HON. JUSTICE I. L. OJUKWU 2. HON. JUSTICE ROSEMARY O. DUGBO. OGHOGHORIE 21. UYO — AKWA-IBOM 1. HON. JUSTICE M.A. ONYETENU 2. HON. JUSTICE ONAH CHIGOZIE SERGIUS 22. MAKURDI – BENUE 1. HON. JUSTICE M.S. ABUBAKAR 2. HON. JUSTICE EGBE RAPHAEL JOSHUA. 23. ENUGU 1. HON. JUSTICE M.G. UMAR 2. HON. JUSTICE F.O. GIWA- OGUNBANJO 24. MAIDUGURI -BORNO 1. HON. JUSTICE JUDE KANYIOH DAGAT 2. HON. JUSTICE TIJJANI GARBA RINGIM 25. YOLA- ADAMAWA: 1. HON. JUSTICE SALEH KOGO IDRISSA 2. HON. JUSTICE ABDULAZEEZ M. Z. ANKA 26. BAUCHI 1. HON. JUSTICE MUSA SULAIMAN LIMAN 2. HON. JUSTICE AISHATU AUTA IBRAHIM 27. KATSINA 1. HON. JUSTICE AHMAD GAMA MAHMUD 2. HON. JUSTICE HUSSAINI DADAN- GARBA 28. GUSAU-ZAMFARA 1. HON. JUSTICE AMINU BAPPA ALIYU 29. JALINGO – TARABA 1. HON. JUSTICE BALA KHALIFA- MOHAMMED USMAN 30. MINNA -NIGER 1. HON. JUSTICE GARBA AMINU 2. HON. JUSTICE MUHAMMAD DAN- IGE 31. LAFIA -NASARAWA: 1. HON. JUSTICE NEHIZENA IDEMUDIA AFOLABI 2. HON. JUSTICE ANYALEWA ONOJA -ALAPA 32. LOKOJA -KOGI 1. HON. JUSTICE ABDU DOGO 2. HON. JUSTICE ABIODUN JORDAN ADEYEMI 33. JOS-PLATEAU 1. HON. JUSTICE D.V. AGISHI 2. HON. JUSTICE SHARON TANKO ISHAYA 34. OSOGBO- OSUN: 1. HON. JUSTICE N. AYO- EMMANUEL 2. HON. JUSTICE MASHKUR SALISU 35. SOKOTO 1. HON. JUSTICE Z. B. ABUBAKAR 36. GOMBE 1. HON. JUSTICE HILLARY IDE OSHO OSHOMO 2. HON. JUSTICE AMINA ALIYU MOHAMMAD 37. DUTSE – JIGAWA 1. HON. JUSTICE HASSAN DIKKO 38. DAMATURU – YOBE: 1. HON. JUSTICE FADIMA MURTALA AMINU 2. HON. JUSTICE YILWA HAUWA JOSEPH.
Strive To Maintain Public Trust, CJN Tasks Judges
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has tasked judicial officers in Nigeria to work assiduously towards sustaining public confidence and trust reposed on the judiciary. Ariwoola posited that as indispensable pillars of democracy, judicial officers must distance themselves from all forms of indiscretions and ventures capable of bringing the judiciary to disrepute. The CJN gave the charge at the opening ceremony of the 2023, All Nigerian Judges’ Conference in Abuja. “My Lords, the importance of the foregoing cannot be overemphasized since what we do now will invariably determine the legacy we leave behind. Justice Ariwoola described the conference as a “convergence of the most brilliant minds and mainstays of hope and order in the society” adding that the conference primarily serves the dual purpose of stocktaking and visioneering. The CJN expressed dismay over the way decisions of the Court are treated with orders of the Court being flagrantly disobeyed. “While there is no justification for this, it is impossible to divorce this unsettling development from the perceived image of the Judiciary as a mere appendage of the other arms of government, expected to do their bidding at all times and incapable of making decisions devoid of predilection. He exuded confidence that the Conference, which is the first since the commencement of the new administration, will come with an improved disposition towards the welfare of the Judiciary especially as it pertains to the protracted issue of its independence as well as a strong desire to foster healthy and productive relationships among all three arms. “It is my hope that the Conference will help drive robust discussions between the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary on fostering mutual respect for one another and also on strengthening synergies devoid of any subterfuge. “It will equally afford us the opportunity to unravel the issues already identified, the bulk of which holds grave repercussions for Nigeria’s polity. “It is also my firm belief that this interface will reaffirm across the board, our commitment to upholding the tenets of Democracy and the Rule of Law therefore bolstering the trust and confidence of the citizenry in the operationality of the government” Justice Ariwoola stated. In his welcome address, the Administrator, National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Salisu Abdullahi, said the Conference provides a platform to give judges the acclaim for their unrelenting devotion to prospering the ends of justice, and for their conspicuous role in nation building. Secondly, he said the Conference affords Judges the opportunity to critically appraise happenings and developments in the course of the year, especially those that greatly impacted the performance of their functions and which holds great implications for the Judiciary by extension. “In the same vein, while it is a cardinal rule of natural justice that no one should be a judge in his own cause, this Conference offers an apposite exception to this since it allows judicial officers to evaluate and critique themselves, Abdullahi said. The goal of such evaluation, he said, is to enable advancement and growth within the Judiciary through the conclusions that will be reached and strategies that will be devised from robust discussions led at the Conference. He stated that the theme of the Conference; “STRENGTHENING JUDICIAL COMMITMENTS TO THE RULE OF LAW AND DEMOCRACY”, will afford Judges the opportunity to recharge, recalibrate and re-strategize.
129 Inmates On Death Row In Plateau Prisons – Official
The Plateau Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), says there are 129 inmates currently on death row in the various custodial centres in the state. ASC Godfrey Longdiem, the command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), disclosed this in an interview on Sunday in Jos. According to Longdiem, the figure consists of 128 males and one female, adding also that 700 inmates are awaiting trial in the various prison facilities across the state “We also have 700 inmates who are awaiting trial in our various facilities; and these consist of 691 males and nine females. He further explained that those convicted for short terms were 55 and those serving long term sentences were 192. Longdiem said those that serving life sentences were 49, adding that there no minors among them. Also speaking with NAN in Jos, Mr Steve Aluko, the Executive Director of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), who decried the dearth in prison facilities, called for reforms in the sector. Aluko stressed that custodial centres all over Nigeria were in dire need of total overhaul. “This is given the deteriorating condition of the country’s correctional centres that have featured more inmates awaiting trial than those actually convicted. “Certainly, the Nigerian prison system is in dire need of urgent reforms to rid it of the perennial problem of congestion and its adverse consequences on the health, wellbeing and human rights of the inmates,’’ he said. Meanwhile in Taraba, stakeholders, who claimed there were no inmates on death row in the state’s correctional facilities, however, decried the high number of those incarcerated in the centres, calling for the restoration of their human dignity. Malam Aminu Mohammed, a legal practitioner, told NAN that there were no death row inmates because those convicted of capital offences such as murder, were serving life sentences as maximum punishment. Mohammed however, said this had contributed to the high number of inmates, especially those awaiting trial, making the correctional centres in Taraba unsuitable for human habitation. He called for increased man power on the bench and judicial independence, to ensure there were more judges and magistrates, as well as adequate funds, to ensure quick dispensation of cases, in order to decongest correctional centres. However, all efforts by a NAN correspondent to get the NCoS officials in Jalingo to confirm that there were no death row inmates in correctional centres in Taraba, proved abortive as the PRO, Mrs Ken Nnanna, declined comment saying she was not authorised to speak on the matter. Mr Raymond Ibrahim, the Executive Director, Centre for Justice and Development, an NGO, who described the centres as dilapidated, overcrowded, and with terrible living conditions that fall short of places for human habitation, suggested that the electronic system of justice dispensation was the way out. According to Ibrahim, most inmates are awaiting trial due to the slow pace of justice dispensation in the country. “The world is now technologically driven, and justice dispensation cannot be left behind if the country must get it right in justice administration. “A situation where case files move from one court to another, and sometimes get mixed up or missing due to years of prosecution, can be addressed if the process becomes digital,” he said. While commending the few judges that had started writing and delivering judgments virtually, Ibrahim called on the government to support a full transition from analogue to digital justice dispensation, to ensure speedy and efficient dispensation of justice and decongestion of correctional centres. Mrs Bridget Jonathan, also a legal practitioner, suggested the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, to prevent every case from being taken to court as part of measures to decongest correctional centres. Jonathan therefore, urged the government to support traditional rulers in strengthening the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in communities.
CJN Decries Depletion Of Supreme Court Justices
The Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Friday, argued that the Supreme Court is now having the lowest number of Justices in its history. According to him, the Apex Court is having only 10 Justices on its bench to tackle the heavy workload of pending cases. Meanwhile, the retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Muhammad Musa Datijo, said without mincing words, that the number of Supreme Court Justices, which has hit an all-time-low of 10, has remained so due to deliberate action. Justice Ariwoola spoke on the occasion of retirement of Justice Musa Dattijo Mohammed who today attained the mandatory retirement age of 70 years. The CJN however assured that efforts are on top gear to elevate a sizeable Justices to the bench of the Court. “With Justices Musa Dattijo leaving us today after the retirement of Hon. Justice Adamu Amina Augie a few weeks ago, we are now left with just 10 Justices on the Supreme Court Bench; being the lowest we have ever had in contemporary history of the Court. “However, I can confidently assure all the litigant public that efforts are in top gear to get on board a sizeable number of Justices to boost our rank and complement the tremendous effort we have been investing in the business of the Court. The CJN paid glowing tributes to the retired Justice saying “I am so emotionally overwhelmed, and at the same time, profusely exhilarated to personally witness this uncommon valedictory session. “This is not because I have never witnessed or presided over valedictory sessions before; but for the fact that we are honouring a quintessential Judicial icon with dazzling qualities and alluring stature who could, in one breath, be classified as a model of excellence that transcends the legal profession. “My Lord Hon. Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad in whose honour we assemble here today, is an epitome of jurisprudential finesse; an insuperable lion with an irrepressible voice in the temple of justice. “We are here to identify with an accomplished jurisprudential iconoclast that has offered the best of his intellect to the advancement of the legal profession through his several years of unblemished and incontrovertible adjudications at different levels of Courts in Nigeria. “His Lordship has, by all standards, made an incisive inroad into the revered history books of the Nigerian judiciary as that gallant and eminent Justice at the Supreme Court bench who inviolably held sway in the discharge of his judicial functions. “As second-in-command in the hierarchy of the Supreme Court, my Lord, Justice Dattijo, skilfully aided and supported me virtually in every sphere of administration. He is a specimen of hard work, industry, discipline and high moral rectitude. “He willingly offered every support and encouragement that any leader would always wish to enjoy from a deputy to effectively meander the often stormy coast of court administration. “So, by this event heralding his 70th birthday anniversary, the time has come to cease from functioning as a Judicial Officer. Immediately after this Court session, a new page will ultimately open in the life of my Lord, which His Lordship and an entirely different set of people, that destiny had already assembled along the path of the second phase of his life, will begin to write on. “He is, indeed, a jewel of inestimable worth and an icon worthy of celebration and adulation. “His Lordship is one judicial officer that could be blunt, even to a fault; and is never known to be afraid to say things the way they are; and also never shies away from calling a spade by its name, irrespective of whose ox is gored. “Through his mien and conduct, His Lordship has succeeded in erecting an edifice of hope and optimism in the minds of his teeming admirers; and even generations yet unborn who will be privileged to access and behold his great works in the judicial landscape that have already been well-documented and displayed conspicuously in the shelves of various libraries across the world. “My Lord, before I end my speech, I will urge you to passionately cherish and relish every moment of your life because, ordinarily, this ceremony we are all witnessing today will never take place again in your life time. From the depth of our hearts, we say happy 70th birthday to you and sincerely wish you good luck and God’s grace in all you do”, the CJN said. However, Justice Datijo in his speech at a valedictory court session to mark his retirement from the apex court bench, having attained the statutory retirement age of 70 years, on October 27, 2023, said, “It is evident that the decision not to fill the vacancies in the court is deliberate. “It is all about the absolute powers vested in the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and theresponsible exercise of same” Justice Datijo said. The retired Jurist was reacting to the reduction in the number of Justices on the bench of the Supreme Court, which is now 10, following his retirement. “That this avoidable depletion has affected and will further affect the court and litigants is stating the obvious” Justice Datijo said.
Breaking News: Fire Engulfs Supreme Court Complex
In a shocking development, a section of the Supreme Court complex, located in the heart of the Three Arms Zone in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been engulfed in flames. Reports, although unconfirmed at this time, suggest that the offices of the three Justices of the Court have been affected by the fire. The incident has thrown a shroud of uncertainty over the nation, as the perpetrators and the Justices directly impacted by the attack remain unknown. This unfortunate event has occurred at a particularly sensitive juncture, with all eyes fixed on the Supreme Court due to its pivotal role in handling presidential election petitions. The news has left Nigerians deeply concerned. Further details on this developing situation will be provided shortly as the investigation unfolds. More details shortly…