The National Judicial Council, NJC, has recommended the appointment of 84 new judges and nine heads of courts.
The Council, which is headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Okukayode Ariwoola, said the appointments were part of concerted efforts to prepare the Judiciary for litigations that might arise from the impending general elections.
The legal body, in a statement signed by its Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, disclosed that the recommended persons would serve as judicial officers in both federal and state courts across the country.
It said the candidates were okayed for the Bench by its panel of interview, during its 100th meeting presided over by the CJN.
According to the statement, those that were recommended for elevation as Chief Judges, include; Justice Muhammad Tukur Mu’azu Aliyu for Kaduna, Justice Majebi Josiah Joe for Kogi, Justice Odusola Aiyedun Olusegun for Ondo, Justice Halima Sa’addiya Mohammed for Gombe and Justice Lilian Abai for Abia State.
Others are; Justice Abdulateef Kamaldeen as Grand Kadi, Kwara State, Justice Stanley Adekunle Lawal, President, Customary Court of Appeal, FCT, Justice Monisola Oluwatoyin Abodunde as President, Customary Court of Appeal in Ekiti and Justice Uhuo Patrick Uchenna as President, Customary Court of Appeal, Ebonyi State.
A breakdown of the recommended 84 Judicial officers showed that four are for Ondo High Court and they are; Akinbinu Sylvester Femi, Leonard Boyede Ologun, Bolatito Florence Ajibade and Akinwumi Bankole Jacob.
The Customary Court of Appeal in Ekiti has three nominees; Lawrence Babatope Ojo, Adegboye Rotimi Adesoji and Ogundele Olufolakemi Olufunke.
Borno State has five for appointment as Judges and they are; Amina Mustapha, Ibrahim Mohammed Maina, Hafsatu Isah Bappah, Bukar Malgwi Umar and Mallam Buna Makinta while Anambra has two comprising Etomike Innocent Ndigwe and Tagbo Chinwuba Anieto.
While five persons; Bashar Ibrahim, Fatima Ahmadu Suka, Abubakar Adamu, Kabiru Muhammad
and Amina Modi Yabo, were nominated for Sokoto High Court bench, the Sharia Court of Appeal in the state has two nominees as Kadi and are; Idris Adamu and Mustapha Abdullahi Ahmad.
Similarly, Ogun State High Court got eight nominees comprising of; Oluwafunke Omolara Odubanjo,
Ayodele Adebayo Omoniyi, Sunday Olufemi Adeniyi, Awofeso Ireti-Olu Babatunde and Abimola Christopher Shokunbi.
The two nominees for Bayelsa State High Court are; Charlie Ebiyon Duke and Ekadi Amadise Michael while the six for Ebonyi State are Esther Awo Ota, BUkeni Ogoke Stella Ejituruchi, Ruth Obaji Okeh, Blessing Ibeabuchi Chukwu, Christopher Ofoke Mbam and Francis-Abba Solange Amaka.
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria got six nominees; Buhari Sani, Damachi-Onugba Agede Joyce, Hassan Muhammed Yakubu, Sandra Audu Yelwa, Subilim Emmanuel Danjuma and Muhammad Adamu Hamza.
Cross Rivers High Court has two nominees in persons of Okokon Edem Nyong and Amajama Jacob Eneji while the four for Adamawa High Court are Christopher Dominic Mapeo, Ahmed Isa, Mohammed Ibrahim Tola and Benjamin Lawan Manji.
Adamawa got one Kadi nominee for its Sharia Court of Appeal in the person of Isa Yusuf khalid, while Adabala Nicholas was nominated as a judge for the Customary Court of Appeal in the state.
Rivers State High Court got five candidates comprising of; Asivosuo Maccarthy Oriye, Omonigho Nwibani, Comfort Ifikmotu- Awaji Adangor, Prince Chika Mini and Beauty Ihuoma Emmanuel-Okere, while its Customary Court of Appeal has two Judges nominees, Odiki Daniel- Kalio and Tetenwi Ngeli Elerabari.
Zamfara High Court has four and they are; Abdullahi Muhammad Gusau, Umar Adulnasir, Saad Garba Gurbin-Bore and Muntaka Ahmad Ya’akubu.
Osun State High Court has four nominees; Lasisi Muhammmed Adebayo, Awe Micheal Oludare, Fatimah Adejoke Sodamade and Owolawi Joseph Olukunle, while Adamu Mohammed Jajere was nominated for the Customary Court of Appeal with Kasim Mohammed Kasim recommended as Kadi for its Sharia Court of Appeal.
Kaduna State High Court bench got seven candidates; Yakubu Bodamasi, Abdullahi Isiaka, Buhari Mohammed Balarabe, Bashir Shitu Yusuf, Nana Fatima Mohammed, John Aku Ambi and Joyce Asabe Akaa’ahs.
Apart from the recommended seven high court Judges, the NJC further sought the appointment of five Kadis for Kaduna Sharia Court of Appeal and they are; Aminu Ahmad Jumare, Nuhu Mahmud, Murtala Nasir, Abdulrahman Ibrahim and Mahdi Muhammad Suraj.
Similarly, three persons; Dorothy Sim Inwulale, Atung Dorcaas Tabitta
and Yusuf Yakubu, were recommended as judges for the Kaduna Customary Court of Appeal.
The breakdown further showed that Plateau State Customary Court of Appeal got only one Judge nominee in person of Jettei T. Pekun.
The NJC noted that all recommended candidates would be sworn- in upon approval of their appointment by their respective state Governors and State Houses of Assembly.
VANGUARD
