On Wednesday, Sept. 20, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), will officiate the swearing-in ceremony for nine newly appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal. This event is set to take place in the Main Court auditorium of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Dr. Festus Akande, the Director of Press and Information for the Supreme Court, confirmed in a statement that the ceremony will begin at 11 a.m.
Among the new Justices are:
– Hannatu Azumi Laja-Balogun of Kaduna State, appointed as a High Court Judge on May 24, 1999.
– Binta Fatima Zubairu, also from Kaduna, who became a High Court Judge on Oct. 31, 2001.
– Peter Chudi Obiora from Anambra State, appointed on Jan. 17, 2005.
– Okon Efreti Abang of Akwa Ibom State, appointed on June 22, 2009.
– Asma’u Musa Mainoma from the Federal Capital Territory, appointed on Feb. 1, 2013.
– Lateef Adebayo Ganiyu from Oyo State, appointed on June 26, 2014.
– Jane Esienanwan Iyang of Cross River State and Hadiza Rabiu Shagari from Sokoto State, both appointed on Feb. 12, 2015.
– Lastly, Paul Ahmed Bassi from Borno State, who was appointed on July 14, 2017.
In related news, Justice Amina Adamu Augie is set to retire from the Supreme Court bench on Sept. 21, 2023, reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 on Sept. 3, 2023. Her valedictory court session, initially scheduled for Sept. 3, was postponed due to the court’s annual vacation, which concluded on Sept. 15.
Justice Augie, who joined the Supreme Court on Nov. 7, 2016, is an alumna of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), graduating with a Second Class Upper Division in Law in 1977 and being called to the Nigerian Bar the following year.
Following Justice Augie’s retirement, the Supreme Court will operate with 11 Justices, despite the constitutional provision for 22 Justices.
The current Justices include CJN Olukayode Ariwoola and Justices Musa Dattijo, Kudirat Motomori Kekere-Ekun, John Inyang Okoro, Uwani Abba Aji, Garba Lawal, Helen Morenikeji Ogunwumiju, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Tijjani Abubakar, and Emmanuela Akomaye Agim.
Lastly, the Supreme Court mourned the passing of Justice Centus Chima Nweze in July of this year.
