NJC recommends 86 judges for federal, state appointments

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of 86 judges for federal and state high courts.

Among those listed are a daughter of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola; a daughter of former CJN, Tanko Muhammed, and the wife of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Those in the list are 22 judges for the Court of Appeal; 12 for FCT High Court; seven (Imo); six (Bauchi); three (Taraba); 13 (Lagos); four (Kogi); two (Jigawa) and five (Kaduna).

The NJC also elevated the kadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal, including five for Bauchi; five for Kogi and one for Jigawa; three Customary Court of Appeal judges for Imo, two for Taraba and one for Kogi.

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A statement signed by the Director of Information of the FCT, Soji Oye on Friday revealed that the decisions were reached at the end of its 105th meeting on May 15 and 16, chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, whose retirement notice was also received.

Among the list for the Court of Appeal are Kwahar Polycarp Terna; Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola; Eleojo Eneche; Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf; Abdullahi Muhammad Liman; Abdu Dogo; Fadawu Umaru.

Others are Ishaq Mohammed Sani; Zainab Bage Abubakar; Abdulazeez M. Anka; Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba; Nwoye Victoria Tochukwu and Nwabunkeonye Onwosi.

Also, Okorowo Donatus Uwaezuoke; Ngozika Uwazurunonye Okaisabor; Ntong Festus Ntong; Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi; Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette; Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo; Akinyemi Abiodun Azeem; Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola and Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi.

Those for the FCT High Court are Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo; Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi; Anumaenwe Godwin Iheabunike; Odo Celestine Obinna; Hauwa Lawal Gummi; Abdurahman Usman; Buetnaan Mandy Bassi; Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh; Maryan Iye Yusuf;  Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria; Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike and Munirat Ibrahim Tanko.

The statement disclosed that the council set up panels to investigate allegations against judges, while it issued warning to justices Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja and G.B. Brikins-Okolosi of the Delta State High Court.

According to Oye, Ekwo was warned and barred from elevation to a higher bench for two years “for abuse of discretionary power of a judge by wrongly granting an ex parte order in suit No FHC/ABJ/C/626/2023, Juliet Ebere Nwadi Gbaka & 2 Ors V Seplat Energy Plc & 12 Ors,”

The statement also disclosed that Justice Brikins-Okolosi was warned and barred for elevation for two years “for failure to deliver judgement within the stipulated period in Joseph Anene Okafor Vs Skye Bank, suit number A/94/2010 after parties had filed and adopted their final written addresses.” 

The statement added that the council cautioned Justice Amina Shehu of Yobe State High Court “for issuing a Writ of Possession Conferring Title on the Defendant in Suit No YBS/HC/NNR/1cv/2020 when there was no subsisting judgement of any court to enable His Lordship issue the Writ.”

He stated that the council, at the meeting, also considered two reports of its two preliminary complaint assessment committees that filtered 35 petitions written against judges of the federal and state high courts and decided to empanel eight committees to further investigate the petitions that were found meritorious by the committees, while it dismissed the petitions filed against 22 judges across the states.