CJN to swear in new judges for FCT High Court

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, will inaugurate on Wednesday 12 new judges of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The CJN will administer oaths to the 12 newly appointed judge-designates at the swearing-in ceremony billed to take place at 10 a.m. at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court, according to a statement by the Director of Press at the Supreme Court, Festus Akande.

Their inauguration will add 12 judges to the 57 existing ones, ultimately raising the number of FCT High Court judges to 69.

The new appointees include Buetnaan Mandy Bassi from Plateau State; Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo from Kwara State; Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi from Lagos State; Iheabunike Anumaenwe Godwin from Imo State; Odo Celestine Obinna from Enugu State; and Hauwa Lawal Gummi from Zamfara State.

The rest are: Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh from Bayelsa State; Maryam Iye Yusuf from Kogi State; Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria from Oyo State; Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike from Rivers State; Ibrahim Tanko Munirat from Bauchi State; and Abdulrahman Usman from Taraba State.

This inauguration comes on the heels of the recommendation of the National Judicial Council  (NJC) in May.

During its 105th meeting of the NJC held on the 15 and 16 of May, the council’s Interview Committee on the Appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts of Record in Nigeria  recommended 86 candidates for appointment to the benches of various federal and state courts.

The council reviewed the committee’s report and recommended various candidates for judicial positions in the Court of Appeal and the High Court of the FCT. The council also recommended candidates for appointment as judges of the High Courts, the Sharia Courts of Appeal, and the Customary Courts of Appeal of various states.

The swearing-in of the recommended candidates follows the approval of the President for federal courts or state governors for state courts.