The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of 86 justices and judges for the Court of Appeal, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Sharia Courts of Appeal, and Customary Courts of Appeal of states across the country.

The NJC took the decision after considering the recommendation of its Interview Committee on Appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts of Record in Nigeria.

According to a statement issued on Friday, May 17, by NJC’s Director (Information), Soji Oye, the council recommended the appointment of 22 Justices for the Court of Appeal.

They include Justice Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette of the Rivers State High Court, who is the wife of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba of the Federal High Court; Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory;

Justice Okorowo Donatus Uwaezuoke of the Federal High Court, and Justice Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo of the Lagos State High Court.

Others are Justice Kwahar Polycarp Terna; Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola; Justice Eleojo Eneche; Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf; Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman; Justice Abdu Dogo; Justice Fadawu Umaru, and Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani.

Also on the list are Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar; Justice Abdulazeez M. Anka; Justice Nwoye Victoria Tochukwu; Justice Nwabunkeonye Onwosi; Justice Ngozika Uwazurunonye Okaisabor, and Justice Ntong Festus Ntong.

Equally elevated to the Court of Appeal are Justice Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi; Justice Akinyemi Abiodun Azeem, and Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola.

The NJC recommended the appointment of 12 judges for the High Court of the FCT; seven for Imo State High Court; six for Bauchi State High Court; three for Taraba State High Court; 13 for Lagos State High Court, and four for Kogi State High Court.

It equally recommended the appointment of two judges for Jigawa State High Court; five kadis for the Bauchi Sharia Court of Appeal; five kadis for Kogi State Sharia Court of Appeal; one kadi for the Jigawa State Court of Appeal, and three judges for the Imo State Customary Court of Appeal.

The NJC also recommended the appointment of two judges for the Taraba State Customary Court of Appeal and one for Kogi State Customary Court of Appeal.

Oye said the affected judicial officers will be sworn in after the approval of the NJC recommendations by the President and the relevant state Governors.

He said the NJC also resolved to issue warning letters to three judges and barred them from being elevated to a higher Bench for a certain period over alleged misconduct.

Justice Inyang E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court was issued a warning and barred from elevation for two years.

Justice G. B. Brikins-Okolosi of the Delta State High Court was also issued a warning and barred from elevation for three years.

Justice Amina Shehu of the Yobe State High Court was cautioned.

According to Oye, Justice 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.”

He said Justice Brikins-Okolosi “is also issued a warning for failure to deliver judgment within the stipulated period in Joseph Anene Okafor Vs Skye Bank, Suit No A/94/2010 after parties had filed and adopted their final written addresses.

Oye added: “Council (NJC) 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 judgment of any court to enable His Lordship issue the writ.”

The NJC spokesman further said: “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.”

According to Oye, the dismissed petitions were against Justices A. M. Liman, A. A. Okeke, and D. E. Osiagor of the Federal High Court; Justices S. B. Belgore and  Bello Kawu of the High Court of FCT;  Justices O. A. Chijioke, A. E. Akeredolu and Kadi M. U. El-Mainari, who sat on Election Petition Tribunal in Edo State.

Justice Okey Paulinus Aneke of the High Court of Enugu State; Justice C. Anya of Abia State High Court; Justices M. A. Ikpambese and W. I. Kpochi of Benue State High Court; Justices T. E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka (Chief Judge) and B. C. Iheka of Imo State High Court; Justice Rose Godwin Soji of Nasarawa State High Court and Justice T. J. Yakubu, High Court Taraba State also had petitions written against them dismissed.

The NJC equally dismissed petitions against Justices W. N. Danagogo and Chinwendu Nworgu, High Court Rivers State, Justice C. C. Okaa of the High Court of Anambra State, and Justice Abdullahi Sulyman of the High Court of Kogi State.

According to him, the NJC deliberated on the notification of the retirements of three judicial officers, including that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, and the notification of the death of three judges of the federal and state courts.