NJC To Appoint 22 Judges For Supreme Court, Others

The National Judicial Council, says it will appoint more judges for the Supreme Court and other various courts.

A statement by the Director of Information of the NJC, Mr Soji Oye, on Thursday, stated that the council made the recommendation of 22 judges at its second meeting held on August 11 and 12.

Mr Oye said the council at the meeting presided by its Chairman who is also the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, recommended a total of 22 judicial officers across various courts, including the Supreme Court, which has been seeing a steady decline in the number of its Justices in the last two years.

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The recommended candidates for the Supreme Court bench which currently has 12 Justices, will add to the list of four others whom the NJC had recommended to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), since last year.

The 22 judicial officers newly recommended by the NJC are for appointment as Justices of the apex court, and as heads of other courts, judges of High Court states, Kadis of states Sharia courts and judges of Customary Courts of Appeal.

Mr Oye stated that the recommendation of the 22 candidates for appointment followed the council’s consideration of “the Report of its Interview Committee”.

The appointments of the 22 candidates are to take effect after the approval of either Buhari or the governors of the relevant states, as the case may be.

The statement added that the council also issued “a warning letter to Hon. Justice K. N. Ogbonnaya of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory following its findings on the petition written against him by Dr. Uchechukwu Samson Ogah, OON, that His Lordship refused to release a copy of Judgment delivered to the petitioner within the constitutionally prescribed period of seven days.”