President Buhari appoints more 28 judicial officers

In what has been described as a move by the President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari to replace retired judges and speed up court processes by the Judicial arm of government, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved the appointment of 28 judicial officers for the Court of Appeal, the Federal High Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

While 12 were approved for the Court of Appeal, the President approved the appointment of nine for the Federal High Court and seven for the High Court of the FCT.

The Director of Information, National Judicial Council (NJC), Soji Oye, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Oye said Buhari’s approval followed an earlier recommendation by the NJC.

Those elevated to the Appeal Court were Justices Gabriel Kolawole, Bilikisu Aliyu and Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, and Abubakar Mahmud  Talba of the High Court of the FCT (who was suspended for one year by the NJC over his ruling in the John Yakubu Yusufu case in 2013.

Oye had said in a statement on April 26, 2012 that NJC resolved at its meeting held on April 24 and 25, 2012 to suspended Justice Talba for 12 months without pay.

Also elevated to the Appeal Court were Justices Folashade A. Ojo (of the High Court of the FCT),  P. A. Mahmud; I. A. Andenyangsto; Ebiowei TobI;  J. G. Abundaga; A. S. Umar; A. M. Bayero and  A. M. Lamido.

Those who made it to the Federal High Court bench were Justice Peter O. Lifu (who is currently a judge of the National Industrial Court), Sunday Bassey Onu, Mrs. Adefunmilola Adekemi Demi-Ajayi, Obiora Atuegwu Egwuata, Sa’adatu Ibrahim Mark, Mobolaji Olubukola Olajuwon, Aminu Bappa Aliyu, Tijjani Garba Ringim and Nkeonye Evelyn Maha.