NJC approves 4 Supreme Court Justices’ appointment

The National Judicial Council (NJC) on Thursday recommended four Justices of the Court of Appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari for appointment as justices of the apex court.

Mr Soji Oye, Esq, the Director of Information disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

Those justices include Adamu Jauro, from the North-east zone; Emmanuel A. Agim, South-south zone; C. Oseji, South-south zone and Helen M. Ogunwumiju from the South-west zone.

Also recommended for appointment as substantive Chief Judge of the Federal High Court is Justice John Tsoho, who has been on acting capacity since July this year.

He said that NJC under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee and resolved to also recommend the justices to the Governors of Edo, Ondo, Akwa-Ibom, Kogi, Anambra, Taraba, Abia, Osun, Nasarawa and Jigawa.

He said that 22 successful candidates in all were for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court, Heads of Courts and other Judicial Officers in Nigeria.

Others are Justice Esther A. Edigin as Chief Judge, Edo State High Court and Justice Eunice A. Alade as the President, Customary Court of Appeal, Ondo State.

Other appointments include Mathias Olusegun Agboola, Sikiru Adeposi Oke, Olorunfemi Judith Ajanaku, Lawrence Olawale Arojo as Osun State High Court Judges.

Bawa S. Baba as Judge, Nasarawa State High Court, Nkeruwem Martin Obot, Judge, Akwa-Ibom State High Yahaya Adamu, Judge, Kogi State High Court.

Two Judges appointed for Anambra State High Court are Onyinye Samuel Anumonye and Victoria Toochukwu Nwoye while has Benson Anya, Enyinnaya Okezie and Adiele Ogbonna as Abia State High Court Judges.

Goje Yahaya Hamman appointed as Judge, Taraba State High Court and Ibrahim Alhaji Ya’u as Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Jigawa State.

He said that all the appointed Justices and 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.

He added that NJC also empanels Committees to investigate eight Judges.

“The Council also deliberated on the report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee and decided to empanel eight Committees to investigate eight Judicial Officers from amongst the thirty-five petitions written against 37 Judges of the Federal and State High Courts.

“The remaining petitions were summarily dismissed for obvious and manifest lack of merit, being subjudice, concerning administrative matters, because such petitions were matters for appeal.

The dismissed petitions were against Justice Adamu Abdu-kafarati, Justices Anduwi Chikere, the immediate past Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, H. I. Oshoma, Ayo Emmanuel all of the Federal High Court, Justice J. D. Peters, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice S. E. Aladetoyinbo (Rtd), of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

Also, Justice Opeyemi Oke (Rtd), Chief Judge of Lagos State, 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.

Justice Mojisola Idayat Sule, Oyo state High Court, Justices R. D. Harriman, A. O. Omamogbo, Michael Nduka Obi of the Delta State High Court.

Justice E. N. Thompson of the Rivers State High Court, Justice Inaikende Eradiri, Bayelsa State High Court, Justices N. B. Ukoha and B. C. Iheka of the Imo State High Court, Justices F. I. N. Ngwu and R. O. Odugu of the Enugu State High Court.

Justice Abdulkadir H. Suleiman of the Bauchi State High Court and Hon. Justice Garba Abdulkadir of the Katsina State High Court.

The Council also approved the recommendation of two Committees earlier set-up to investigate Justice Winifred I. A. Effiong of the Akwa-Ibom state High Court and Justice Bello Aliyu Gusau of High Court os Zamfara state, which absolved them of any judicial misconduct.