NJC Recommends Judges for Appointment, Investigates 8

Ololade Adeyanju/

Four Supreme Court of Nigeria Justices have been recommended for appointment by the National Judicial Council (NJC), along with four Heads of Court and 13 Judicial Officers.

The appointments are for Federal and State High Courts as well as one Sharia Court of Appeal.

Besides, the NJC also set up a committee to investigate the conducts of eight judges.

A statement issued by the NJC today says: “The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Dr. Justice I. T. Muhammad CFR, at its Meeting of 22^nd and 23^rd October, 2019, considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee and resolved to recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, and the Governors of Edo, Ondo, Akwa-Ibom, Kogi, Anambra, Taraba, Abia, Osun, Nasarawa and Jigawa States, twenty-two (22) successful candidates for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court, Heads of Courts and other Judicial Officers in Nigeria.

They are: –

1.     APPOINTMENT OF FOUR (4) JUSTICES, SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA

i)      Hon. Justice Adamu Jauro, JCA                    (North-East Zone)

ii)    Hon. Justice Emmanuel A. Agim, JCA        

(South-South Zone)

iii)   Hon. Justice C. Oseji, JCA                                     (South-South Zone)

iv)    Hon. Justice Helen M. Ogunwumiju, JCA    

(South-West Zone)

2.     APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUDGE, FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

        i)      Hon. Justice Tsoho John Terhemba

3.     APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDENT, NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT OF NIGERIA

        i)      Hon. Justice B. B. Kanyip

4.     APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUDGE, EDO STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i)      Hon. Justice Esther Amenaghawon Edigin

5.     APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDENT, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, ONDO STATE

i)      Hon. Justice Eunice Aderonke Alade

6.     APPOINTMENT OF FOUR (4) JUDGES, OSUN STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

        i)      Mathias Olusegun Agboola, Esq.

        ii)    Sikiru Adeposi Oke, Esq.

        iii)   Olorunfemi Judith Ajanaku, Esq.

iv)    Lawrence Olawale Arojo, Esq.

7.     APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, NASARAWA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

        i)      Bawa Sunday Baba, Esq.

8.     APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, AKWA-IBOM STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

        i)      Nkeruwem Martin Obot, Esq.

9.     APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, KOGI STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

        i)      Yahaya Adamu, Esq.

10.   APPOINTMENT OF TWO (2) JUDGES, ANAMBRA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

        i)      Onyinye Samuel Anumonye, Esq.

        ii)    Victoria Toochukwu Nwoye, Esq.

11.   APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, TARABA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

        i)      Goje Yahaya Hamman, Esq.

12.   APPOINTMENT OF THREE (3) JUDGES, ABIA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

        i)      Benson Anya, Esq.

        ii)    Enyinnaya Okezie, Esq.

        iii)   Adiele Ogbonna, Esq.

13.   APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) KADI, SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, JIGAWA STATE

        i)      Ibrahim Alhaji Ya’u

According to the statement, all the appointed Judges are expected to be sworn-in after the approval of the President and their respective State Governors and or confirmation by the Senate and State Houses of Assembly as the case may be.

Council at the Meeting deliberated on the Report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee and decided to empanel eight Committees to investigate eight Judicial Officers from amongst the 35 petitions written against 37 Judges of the Federal and State High Courts.

The statement further says, “The remaining petitions were summarily dismissed for obvious and manifest lack of merit, being subjudice, concerning administrative matters, or that such petitions were matters for appeal.

“The dismissed petitions were against Hon. Justice Adamu Abdu-kafarati, the immediate past Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justices Anduwi Chikere, H. I. O. Oshoma, Ayo Emmanuel all of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice J. D. Peters, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice S. E. Aladetoyinbo (Rtd), of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Hon. Justice Opeyemi Oke (Rtd), Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justices K. A. Jose, S. S. Ogunsanya, T. A. Oyekan-Abdullahi, O. O. Femi-Adeniyi and D. T. Okuwobi, all of the Lagos State High Court of Justice.

“Hon. Justice Mojisola Idayat Sule, Oyo State High Court, Hon. Justices R. D. Harriman, A. O. Omamogbo, Michael Nduka Obi, High Court of Justice, Delta State, Hon. Justice E. N. Thompson, River State High Court, Hon. Justice Inaikende Eradiri, High Court, Bayelsa State, Hon. Justices N. B. Ukoha and B. C. Iheka of High Court of Justice, Imo State, Hon. Justices F. I. N. Ngwu, R. O. Odugu, Enugu State High Court, Hon. Justice Abdulkadir H. Suleiman, Bauchi State High Court and Hon. Justice Garba Abdulkadir of the Katsina State High Court of Justice.

“Council also approved the recommendation of two (2) Committees earlier set-up to investigate Hon. Justice Winifred I. A. Effiong of Akwa-Ibom State High Court of Justice and Hon. Justice Bello Aliyu Gusau of High of Justice, Zamfara State which absolved them of any judicial misconduct.”

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