NJC recommends appointments of 18 Appeal Court judges, eight court heads

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended 18 candidates to President Muhammadu Buhari for appointment as Justices of the Court of Appeal.

The Director of Information, NJC, Soji Oye, said on Friday that the council also recommended the appointment of eight heads of courts in Rivers, Nasarawa, Kogi, Jigawa, Ebonyi and Delta states.

Mr Oye said the council, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, had at its 94th meeting held on 17 and 18, December 2020 considered the list of candidates presented by its interview committee.

Read the statement in full:

PRESS RELEASE: NJC RECOMMENDS APPOINTMENT OF TWENTY-SIX (26) JUDICIAL OFFICERS, EIGHTEEN (18) JUSTICES OF THE COURT OF APPEAL AND EIGHT (8) HEADS OF COURT; EMPANELS COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE ONE JUDGE; ISSUES TWO STRONG WARNING LETTERS TO JUDGES.

The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Dr. Justice I. T. Muhammad CFR, at its 94th Meeting held on 17 to 18 December, 2020, considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee and resolved to recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, and the Governors of Rivers, Nasarawa, Kogi, Jigawa, Ebonyi and Delta States twenty-six (26) successful candidates for appointment as Justices of Court of Appeal and Heads of Court in Nigeria.

They are as follows:

1. EIGHTEEN (18) JUSTICES, COURT OF APPEAL

i) Hon. Justice Bature Isah Gafai

ii) Hon. Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Sirajo

iii) Hon. Justice Waziri Abdul-Azeez

iv) Hon. Justice Yusuf Alhaji Bashir

v) Hon. Justice Usman A. Musale

vi) Hon. Justice Jauro Ibrahim Wakili

vii) Hon. Justice Abba Bello Mohammed

viii) Hon. Grand Kadi Mohammed Danjuma

ix) Hon. Justice Danlami Zama Senchi

x) Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Abubakar

xi) Hon. Justice Hassan Muslim Sule

xii) Hon. Justice Amadi Kenneth Ikechukwu

xiii) Hon. Justice Peter Oyinkenimiemi Affen

xiv) Hon. Justice Sybil Onyeji Nwaka Gbagi

xv) Hon. Justice Olasumbo Olanrewaju Goodluck

xvi) Hon. Justice Banjoko Adebukunola Adeoti Ibironke

xvii) Hon. Justice Olabode Abimbola Adegbehingbe

xviii) Hon. Justice Bola Samuel Ademola

2. CHIEF JUDGE, FCT, ABUJA

i) Hon. Justice Salisu Garba Abdullahi

3. CHIEF JUDGE, RIVERS STATE

i) Hon. Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi

4. CHIEF JUDGE, NASARAWA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Aisha Bashir Aliyu

5. CHIEF JUDGE, KOGI STATE

i) Hon. Justice Sunday Omeiza Otu

6. CHIEF JUDGE, JIGAWA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Umar Maigari Sadiq

7. CHIEF JUDGE, EBONYI STATE

i) Hon. Justice Ngene Anagu Elvis

8. CHIEF JUDGE, DELTA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Theresa T. Obiajulu Ogochukwu Diai

9. PRESIDENT, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, DELTA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Patience Onuwa Elumeze

All recommended candidates are expected to be sworn-in after approval by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and their respective State Governors and confirmation by the National Assembly and the respective States Houses of Assembly.

Reports on petitions

Council at the Meeting deliberated on the Reports on 24 petitions written against 29 Judges presented by its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee and decided to empanel an investigation Committee against one Judge and issued two strong warning letters against 2 Judges of the Federal and State High Courts. It also resolved to set up a Medical Board to ascertain the health status of one Judge.

Warnings

Council decided to issue strong warning letters to Hon. Justices Mufutau Olokoba and M. A. Savage of the Lagos State High Court.

Hon. Justice Olokoba was reprimanded and also put on the watch list of the Council for his failure to deliver judgement within the Constitutional period of 90 days and Hon. Justice Savage was reprimanded for not being in charge of his Court.

Dismissed petitions

The remaining petitions were summarily dismissed for obvious and manifest lack of merit, being subjudice, overtaken by events or that such petitions were matters for appeal.

The dismissed petitions were against Hon. Justices Rita Nosakhare Pemu, Ita G. Mbaba and Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua all of Owerri Division of the Court of Appeal; Hon. Justices O. O. Oguntoyinbo and A. Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice Anslem A. Nwaigwe, Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, Hon. Justices M. A. Abubakar, Binta Bawa Rijau of Niger State High Court, Hon. Justice Maurice Odey Eneji of Cross River State and Hon. Justice Kulu Aliyu, Chief Judge, Zamfara State.

Other petitions dismissed were those written against Hon. Justice S. O. Falola of Osun State Judiciary; Hon. Justices C. C. Okaa, S. N. Odili and P. C. Obiorah, all of Anambra State High Court; Hon. Justice Chukwuemeka – Chikeka, Hon. Justice Ijeoma O. Agugua, Acting Chief Judge of Imo State; Hon. Justice Y. A. Adesanya of the Lagos State Judiciary and Hon. Justices Godwin O. Ollor and S. H. Aprioku of Rivers State High Court.

Similarly, Council dismissed petitions written against Hon. Justices Hadiza H. Ali-Jos, E. B. Omotoso, I. Ityonyiman, W. O. Animasahun, A. A. Aderibigbe and Hon Kadi M. Y. Usman who served in two Election Petition Tribunals.

Council also received notifications of retirement of seventeen (17) Judicial Officers and notifications of death of three Judges from the Federal and State Judiciaries.