CJN Inaugurates Nine Appeal Court Justices Wednesday 

* Bench depletes further as Amina Augie retires as Supreme Court justice 

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will Wednesday, September 20, swear in nine newly appointed justices of the Court of Appeal.

Meanwhile, the retirement of Justice Amina Augie would further reduce the number of justices on the bench of the Supreme Court which is currently over laboured by the excruciating workload at the apex court.

Although a few years ago, it almost attained its full complement of 22 justices, the apex court in the last three years have been hit by waves of retirement, death and resignation.

Also, in the last three years, the number of justices on the bench had witnessed a sharp drop from 21 to 13, while the death of Justice Centus Nweze in July, this year, brought the number down to 12, the retirement of Augie on September 3, upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 years however has further reduced the number to 11.

It is from this number that the CJN is also expected to select seven justices that will hear appeals emanating from the presidential and governorship election petition tribunals.

According to a statement by the Supreme Court’s Director of Press and Information, Dr Festus Akande, a traditional valedictory court session in Augie’s honour would be held on Thursday.

The statement explained that the ceremony was delayed due to the annual vacation of the court which ended on Friday, September 15, 2023.

Justice Augie was sworn in as Justice of Supreme Court on November 7, 2016. She graduated with a Second Class Upper Division degree in Law from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1977 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978. 

The remaining Justices on the apex court bench are the CJN, Ariwoola; Musa Dattijo, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, John Okoro, Uwani Abba-Aji, Garba Lawal and Helen Morenikeji Ogunwumiju.

The rest are Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Tijjani Abubakar and Emmanuel Agim.

Meanwhile, the swearing-in ceremony of the new appellate court justices slated for Wednesday would be held at the Main Court auditorium of the Supreme Court.

The new justices include: Hannatu Laja-Balogun from Kaduna State, who was appointed a High Court judge on May 24, 1999; Binta Zubairu also from Kaduna State and appointed a High Court Judge on October 31, 2001.

Others are Peter Obiora from Anambra State, who became a High Court judge on January 17, 2005; Okon Abang from Akwa Ibom State, appointed a High Court judge on June 22, 2009; Asma’u Mainoma from the Federal Capital Territory, appointed High Court judge on February 1, 2013; Lateef Ganiyu from Oyo State, became a High Court judge on June 26, 2014; and Jane Iyang from Cross River State, who was sworn in as High Court judge on February 12, 2015.

The rest are Hadiza Shagari from Sokoto State, who was elevated to the High Court Bench on February 12, 2015; and Paul Bassi from Borno State, appointed to the High Court on July 14, 2017.