National Judicial Council has recommended appointment of four new Supreme Court judges.

Those approved are Adamu Jauro (North-East); Emmanuel A. Agim (South-South); C. Oseji (South-South); and Helen M. Ogunwumiju (South-West).

The recommendations were sent to President Muhammadu Buhari who has the powers to appoint the judges with the backing of Senate.

NJC also recommended appointment of 13 judicial officers for federal and state High Courts.

The recommendations are contained in a statement released by the council on Thursday.

Read the full statement below:

• NJC recommends appointment of four (4) Supreme Court of Nigeria Justices, four (4) Heads of Court, Thirteen (13) Judicial Officers for Federal and State High Courts and one (1) Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal;

• Empanels Committees to investigate eight (8) Judges.

National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr I. T. Muhammad, at its Meeting of 22nd and 23rd October, 2019, considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee and resolved to recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari, and Governors of Edo, Ondo, Akwa-Ibom, Kogi, Anambra, Taraba, Abia, Osun, Nasarawa and Jigawa States, twenty-two (22) successful candidates for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court, Heads of Courts and other Judicial Officers in Nigeria.

They are:

1. APPOINTMENT OF FOUR (4) JUSTICES, SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA

i) Adamu Jauro, JCA (North-East Zone)

ii) Emmanuel A. Agim, JCA

(South-South Zone)

iii) C. Oseji, JCA (South-South Zone)

iv) Helen M. Ogunwumiju, JCA

(South-West Zone)

2. APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUDGE, FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i) Tsoho John Terhemba

3. APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDENT, NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT OF NIGERIA

i) B. B. Kanyip

4. APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUDGE, EDO STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i) Esther Amenaghawon Edigin

5. APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDENT, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, ONDO STATE

i) Eunice Aderonke Alade

6. APPOINTMENT OF FOUR (4) JUDGES, OSUN STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i) Mathias Olusegun Agboola

ii) Sikiru Adeposi Oke

iii) Olorunfemi Judith Ajanaku

iv) Lawrence Olawale Arojo

7. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, NASARAWA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i) Bawa Sunday Baba

8. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, AKWA-IBOM STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i) Nkeruwem Martin Obot

9. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, KOGI STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i) Yahaya Adamu

10. APPOINTMENT OF TWO (2) JUDGES, ANAMBRA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i) Onyinye Samuel Anumonye

ii) Victoria Toochukwu Nwoye

11. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, TARABA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i) Goje Yahaya Hamman

12. APPOINTMENT OF THREE (3) JUDGES, ABIA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

i) Benson Anya

ii) Enyinnaya Okezie

iii) Adiele Ogbonna

13. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) KADI, SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, JIGAWA STATE

i) Ibrahim Alhaji Ya’u

All the appointed 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.

Council at the Meeting deliberated on the Report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee and decided to empanel eight (8) Committees to investigate eight (8) 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 Hon. Justice Adamu Abdu-kafarati, the immediate past Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Anduwi Chikere, H. I. O. Oshoma, Ayo Emmanuel all of Federal High Court, J. D. Peters, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, S. E. Aladetoyinbo (Rtd), of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Opeyemi Oke (Rtd), Chief Judge of Lagos State, 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 of Justice. Mojisola Idayat Sule, Oyo State High Court, R. D. Harriman, A. O. Omamogbo, Michael Nduka Obi, High Court of Justice, Delta State, E. N. Thompson, River State High Court, Inaikende Eradiri, High Court, Bayelsa State, N. B. Ukoha and B. C. Iheka of High Court of Justice, Imo State, F. I. N. Ngwu, R. O. Odugu, Enugu State High Court, Abdulkadir H. Suleiman, Bauchi State High Court and Garba Abdulkadir of the Katsina State High Court of Justice.

Council also approved the recommendation of two (2) Committees earlier set-up to investigate Winifred I. A. Effiong of Akwa-Ibom State High Court of Justice and Bello Aliyu Gusau of High of Justice, Zamfara State which absolved them of any judicial misconduct.

Soji Oye, Director, Information,

NJC