The National Judicial Council has recommended the appointment of four new Justices for the Supreme Court.
The Council, also recommended the appointment of 13 judges for Federal and State High Courts and one Kadi for Sharia Court of Appeal.
It also constituted a panel to investigate eight judges for various allegations of misconduct.
The recommendations of the NJC were reached at it’s Council meeting held between October 22 and 23.
A statement issued by the NJC’s Director of Information, Soji Oye, and made available to journalists on Thursday read in part: “The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice I. T. Muhammad, at its Meeting of October 22 and 23, 2019, considered the list of candidates presented by its interview committee and resolved to recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Governors of Edo, Ondo, Akwa-Ibom, Kogi, Anambra, Taraba, Abia, Osun, Nasarawa and Jigawa states, 22 successful candidates for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court, Heads of Courts and other Judicial Officers in Nigeria”.
The Justices recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court are; Adamu Jauro (North-East Zone); Emmanuel A. Agim (South-South Zone); C. Oseji (South-South Zone); and Helen M. Ogunwumiju (South-West Zone).
Justice John Tsoho, who has been the acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court since July 2019 was recommended for appointment on a substantive basis.
The council also recommended Justice B. B. Kanyip as President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, while Justice Esther Edigin, was recommended for appointment as Chief Judge of Edo State High Court.
Furthermore, the Council recommended Justice Eunice Alade, as President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Ondo State while Mr. Mathias Agboola, Sikiru Oke, Olorunfemi Ajanaku and Lawrence Arojo, were recommended for appointment as judges of the Osun State High Court.
Justice Bawa Baba and Nkeruwem Obot were recommended for appointment as a Judges of the Nasarawa and Akwa Ibom States High Courts respectively.
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Others recommended for appointment as judges of states High Court are; Yahaya Adamu, Kogi; Onyinye Anumonye and Victoria Nwoye, Anambra; Goje Hamman, Taraba; Benson Anya, Enyinnaya Okezie and Adiele Ogbonna, Abia.
Ibrahim Ya’u, was recommended for appointment as Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Jigawa State.
Speaking on disciplinary measures against erring judicial officers, Oye, in the statement said: “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 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 Justice Adamu Abdu-kafarati, the immediate past Chief Judge of the Federal High Court; Justices Anduwi Chikere; H I O Oshoma; Ayo Emmanuel all of the Federal High Court, Justice JD Peters, National Industrial Court of Nigeria; Justice S. E. Aladetoyinbo (rtd), of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; Justice Opeyemi Oke (rtd), Chief Judge of Lagos State; Justices K A Jose; S S Ogunsanya, T A Oyekan-Abdullahi, OO Femi-Adeniyi and D T Okuwobi, all of the Lagos State High Court of Justice. Justice Mojisola Idayat Sule, Oyo State High Court; Justices R D Harriman; A. O. Omamogbo; Michael Nduka Obi, High Court of Justice, Delta State; Justice E. N. Thompson, Rivers State High Court; Justice Inaikende Eradiri; High Court, Bayelsa State; Justices N B Ukoha and BC Iheka of High Court of Justice, Imo State; Justices F I N Ngwu; RO Odugu, Enugu State High Court; Justice Abdulkadir H. Suleiman, Bauchi State High Court and Justice Garba Abdulkadir of the Katsina State High Court of Justice.”
According to Oye, the NJC also approved the recommendations of two committees earlier set-up to investigate Justice Winifred I A. Effiong of Akwa-Ibom State High Court and Justice Bello Aliyu Gusau of High Court of Zamfara State, which absolved them of any judicial misconduct.
