NJC’s new promotions stir controversies

..Elevates Wike’s wife to Court of Appeal, ‘In-law’ as judge of FCT High Court

..Appoints retiring CJN Ariwoola’s daughter-in-law as judge FCT High Court

• Bars Justices Ekwo, Brikins-Okolosi from elevation

BY ANDREW OROLUA

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has elevated 86 Judicial Officers to benches of various courts including appointment to the bench of Court of Appeal, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal of States in Nigeria.

The appointments were released on Friday despite protests from civil society groups over observed anomaly in the appointment in favour of relatives of serving and retired justices and top government functionaries including the minister of Federal Capital Territory Nysom Wike whose wife Hon. Justice Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette made the list of those elevated to the bench of Court of Appeal.

NJC accepted the recommendation of its Interview Committee on Appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts of Record in Nigeria at its 105th Meeting held on 15th and 16th of May 2024 in Abuja, a statement by the Council’s spokesperson, Soji Oye stated.

Other judges elevated to bench of Court of Appeal are Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba, Hon. Justice Okorowo Donatus Uwaezuoke both of the Federal High Court and Hon. Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

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Also elevated to the Court of Appeal bench are Hon. Justice Kwahar Polycarp Terna, Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola, Hon. Justice Eleojo Eneche, Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf, Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman, Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo, Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru.

The rest are Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani, Hon. Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar, Hon. Justice Abdulazeez M. Anka, Hon. Justice Nwoye Victoria Tochukwu, Hon. Justice Nwabunkeonye Onwosi, Hon. Justice Ngozika Uwazurunonye Okaisabor, Hon. Justice Ntong Festus Ntong, Hon. Justice Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi, Hon. Justice Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo, Hon. Justice Akinyemi Abiodun Azeem and Hon. Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola.

Among the 12 lawyers elevated as judges of High Court FCT Abuja are Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike an ‘in- law’ of the FCT minister and Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria the daughter-in- law of Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, despite protests by civil society groups over their nominations.

Others are Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo, Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi, Anumaenwe Godwin Iheabunike, Odo Celestine Obinna, Hauwa Lawal Gummi, Abdurahman Usman, Buetnaan Mandy Bassi, Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh, Maryan Iye Yusuf and Munirat Ibrahim Tanko the daughter of former Chief Justice of Nigeria.

The seven lawyers elevated as judges to the bench of Imo State High Court are Akowundu Cletus Ndubuisi, Uchenna Mary Njoku, Chibuogwu Ojiugo Chukwumaeze, Ononogbo Chidi Linus, Adaego Peace Nosiri, Emeka Ozoma Orafu and Mathew Chinedu Ijezie.

Six lawyers were elevated to the Bauchi State High Court.They are Amin Umar Ilelah,Aliyu Bin Idris, Ahmed Shuaibu Ningi,Shafa’u Ladan Yusuf, Abdussalam Idris Waziri and Kawu A. Yerima.

Three lawyers elevated as judges to the bench Taraba State High Court are Hamidu Audu, Bibonga Jeniffer Nauma and Joel Daniel Ubandoma.

Also elevated are 13 lawyers as judges to the bench of Lagos State High Court They are Sunmonu Tunde Bashiru, Azeez Fimisola Augusta, Alebiosu Olawale Lawal, Adewale Russel Musiliu,

Popoola Oluwatosin Ajose, Anjorin-Ajose Tanimola Abdulwaheed, Muyideen Abdul-Raheem Tejumade, George Alfred Akingbola, Balogun Adegboyega Ganiu,

Shonubi Adenike Kudirat, Badejo-Okusanya Yewande Jokotola, Layinka Oyeladun Amope and Ojuromi Nalirat Olayinka Oluwatosin.

NJC also appointed four lawyers Ajesola Joseph Sunday,Ojoma Rachael Haruna, Kadiri Badama and Ezema Beatrice Ada as judges of Kogi State High Court. And two Lawyers Mohammed El-Usman and Nilfa Abdullahi Gambo as judges of Jigawa State High Court.

The council also appoints Ishaku Magaji Abdurrahman Hassan Sabo,Bello Mohammed Sambowal,Muhyiddeen Mohammed and Mahmoud Idris Shehu Tiyin as Kadis Sharia Court of Appeal, Bauchi State.

While, Muhammad Muhammad Bello Okino Isah Saidu, Yakubu Adavenge Abbas, Shaibu Ridwan Aliyu and Idris Alhaji Abdullahi were appointed Kadis of Sharia Court of Appeal Kogi State.

NJC also elevated Mukhtar Shuaibu Adam as Kadi Sharia Court of Appeal, Jigawa State, while Everyman Ezenna Eleanya, Ofoha Sylvesta Uchenna and Ibeh Rosemond Oluchi were appointed judges, Imo State Customary Court of Appeal.

Two lawyers Esther Tata and Benjamin Samuila Bawage were appointed as judges of Customary Court Appeal Taraba State and Maryann Oziohu Otaru as judge of Customary Court of Appeal Kogi State.

All elevated candidates are expected to be sworn-in after the approval of the NJC recommendations to the President and their respective state governors.

Recall that a former boss of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof Chidi Odinkalu, had in March this year, accused the judiciary of nepotism over the listing of Nyesom Wike’s in-law and family members of some justices as potential federal high court judges.

Odinkalu, who had posted on his tweeter handle (now X), stated that, “For instance, Governor Bako Lalong appointed No. 7, Buetnaan, the daughter of the president of the Court of Appeal, a judge of the High Court of Plateau State in 2021. I presume this is a transfer, but if it is, why is it being reported as a new appointment?

“Governor Nyesom Wike appointed No. 11, his in-law, a Senior Magistrate in Rivers State last year. I guess the Chief Justice of the FCT High Court is fulfilling his own side of the bargains he reached when he visited Wike last year…?

“On this list you have a daughter of the former Chief Justice of the FCT High Court (No. 5, Zamfara) and a daughter of the current Chief Justice of the FCT High Court (No. 9, Kogi);

“You also have on this list a daughter-in-law of the current Chief Justice of Nigeria, (No. 10, Oyo); and a daughter of his immediate predecessor (No. 12, Bauchi).

Besides Odinkalu, a civil rights group had also in last April embarked on a protest while accusing the CJN of abuse of office and favouritism.

The group had claimed that the CJN breached Rule 11 (iv) and other extant provisions of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, when he appointed his son, Olukayode Ariwoola Junior as a Judge of the Federal High Court and nominated his daughter in-law, Oluwakemi Victoria Ariwoola as a Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.

The group, Civil Society Consortium on Judicial Accountability (CSCJA), during the protest in Abuja, demanded the resignation of the CJN, arguing that the action underscores the importance of judicial accountability and impartiality in maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of the legal system.

Coordinator of the group, Mr Martin Obono, had Said that, “the CJN’s appointments have raised serious concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the erosion of public confidence in the judiciary”.

Obono had maintained that, “It is imperative that the judiciary remains free from personal bias and favouritism to safeguard the principles of justice.”

In a related development, the National Judicial Council on Thursday barred Justice Inyang E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court and Justice G. B. Brikins-Okolosi of Delta State High Court from promotion for a period of two and three years respectively.

NJC took the decision under the Chairmanship of Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola,.at its plenary of 105th Meeting held on 15 & 16 May 2024, a statement by NJC spokesperson Soji Oye stated.

Hon Justice Inyang E. Ekwo is warned for abuse of discretionary power of a Judge by wrongly granting an ex parte order in Suit No FHC/ABJ/C/626/2023 Juliet Ebere Nwadi Gbaka & 2 Ors V Seplat Energy Plc & 12 Ors,

The Hon Judge is also barred from being elevated to a higher Bench for a period of two years.

Hon. Justice G. B. Brikins-Okolosi of Delta State High Court is also issued a warning for failure to deliver judgement within stipulated period in Joseph Anene Okafor Vs Skye Bank, Suit No A/94/2010 after parties had filed and adopted their final Written Addresses.

Justice G. B. Brikins-Okolosi will also not be elevated to a higher Bench for a period of three years.

Council cautioned Hon. Justice Amina Shehu of Yobe State High Court for issuing Writ of Possession Conferring Title on the Defendant in Suit No YBS/HC/NNR/1cv/2020 when there was no subsisting judgement of any Court to enable His Lordship issue the Writ.

Council at the meeting considered two Reports of its two Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees that filtered 35 petitions written against Judges of the Federal and State High Courts and decided to empanel eight Committees to further investigate the petitions that were found meritorious by the Committees.

Petition against various Judges were dismissed for lack of merit, evidence of misconduct, subjudice or that they were matters that could be appealed.

The dismissed petitions were against Hon Justices A. M. Liman, A. A. Okeke, D. E. Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Hon Justices S. B. Belgore, Bello Kawu both of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Hon Justices O. A. Chijioke, A. E. Akeredolu and Kadi M. U. El-Mainari who sat on Election Petition Tribunal in Edo State, Hon Justice Okey Paulinus Aneke, High Court Enugu State and Hon Justice C. Anya of Abia State.

Others are Hon Justices M. A. Ikpambese and W. I. Kpochi both of Benue High Court, Hon Justices T. E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka Chief Judge and B. C. Iheka of Imo State High Court, Hon Justice Rose Godwin Soji of Nasarawa State High Court, Hon Justice T. J. Yakubu, High Court Taraba State, High Justices W. N. Danagogo and Chinwendu Nworgu, High Court Rivers State, Hon Justice C. C. Okaa, High Court Anambra State and Hon Justice Abdullahi Sulyman High Court, Kogi State.

The Council deliberated on the notification of retirements of three Judicial Officers including that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who is retiring in August and notification of death of three Judges of the Federal and State Courts.