Federal High Court gets new judges, makes transfers

“Judges moving from one Station to another shall report at their new Stations at the commencement of the New Legal Year in September 2022.”

By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka

Seven new judges as recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) have been appointed to the bench of the Federal High Court of Nigeria. This brings the number of Federal High Court judges to 81.

Among the newly appointed judges was the erstwhile Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, now Honorable Justice Emmanuel Gakko.

Other new judges are Justice J.K. Omotosho, Justice Musa Sulaiman Liman, Justice M.T.Segun-Bello, Justice Bala K.M. Usman, Justice A. G. Mahmud and Justice Garba Aminu.

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Following the appointment of the new judges, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Honorable Justice John Tsoho approved the transfer and posting of seventeen judges to various divisions of the Federal High Court across the country.

Out of the seventeen judges, ten serving judicial officers were affected by the transfer while the newly appointed seven judges were posted to their new divisions.

Seventeen judges of the Federal High Court (FHC) have received new postings.
The postings follow the recent appointment of six new judges for the court and other “exigencies”.

According to information obtained from the Information Officer of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Catherine Oby Christopher (PhD), the posting of the seven new judges takes immediate effect, while the transfer of other judges takes effect from September, the new legal year.

A statement approved by the Chief Judge reads: “The posting of newly appointed Judges takes immediate effect.

“Judges moving from one Station to another shall report at their new Stations at the commencement of the New Legal Year in September 2022.

“The said Judges should accord priority to Pre-Election cases and endeavour to dispose of other matters that have attained levels of near-conclusion.

“The Pre-Election Cases already before such Judges should be concluded before the commencement of the New Legal Year.

“The enunciated policies of the Court regarding the movement of Judges from one Station to another must be strictly adhered to.”

The serving judges transferred to another division are Justice I. N. Buba – Bauchi, Justice M. G. Umar – Enugu, Justice R. M. Aikawa – Kaduna, Justice A. A. Okeke – Ibadan, Justice M. A. Onyetenu – Akure, Justice P. H. Mallong – Jos, Justice B. O. Quadri – Owerri, Justice J. E. Inyang – Asaba, Justice S. A. Amobeda, Kano, and Justice T. B. Adegoke – Minna,

The new judges and their postings are Justice J. K. Omotosho – Abuja, Justice Emmanuel Gakko – Bayelsa, Justice Musa Sulaiman Liman – Umuahia, Justice M. T. Segun-Bello – Owerri, Justice Bala K. M. Usman – Jalingo, Justice A. G. Mahmud – Sokoto and Justice Garba Aminu – Lokoja.

Meanwhile, the new Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court of Nigeria now is Hassan Suleiman Amida, drawn from the Court of Appeal. He took over from Emmanuel Gakko.