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Tag: Chief Justice of Nigeria

  • Appeal Court affirms IPOB as a terrorist organisation

    Appeal Court affirms IPOB as a terrorist organisation

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the decision to label the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organization.

     The court, in a unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel led by Justice Hamma Barka, supported the Federal High Court’s 2017 judgment that banned the group.

     The court agreed that the Federal Government acted within the law due to the threat IPOB posed to national security.

     The court dismissed IPOB’s appeal, stating it lacked merit. 

    The IPOB’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh, had argued that the proscription was unlawful and misrepresented facts, claiming it unjustly labeled millions of Igbo Nigerians as terrorists.

     Despite this, the appeal was rejected, reinforcing the Federal High Court’s earlier ruling that prohibited IPOB’s activities, especially in the South-East and South-South regions.

  • CJN inaugurated 22 Appeal, 12 FCT courts justices .. Charges them to be upright

    CJN inaugurated 22 Appeal, 12 FCT courts justices .. Charges them to be upright

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Wednesday, charged the newly inaugurated 22 Appeal Court and 12 FCT high court justices to be upright in the discharge of thier duties in the temple of Justice.

    The CJN reminded the justices that they have taken the oath of allegiance to the dictates of the Almighty God and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, therefore, should deliver justice to Nigerians without fear or favour.

    “It is a solemn pledge and commitment to good conduct in the course of your adjudication, especially as senior judicial officers in the appellate court.

    ‘The number of Justices that we have just sworn-in today is quite unprecedented in the recent history of the Court of Appeal. The last time we had a large number like this was on Monday, 28 June, 2021, when 18 Justices were sworn-in. That was preceded by that of Monday, 5th November,2012 when 12 Justices were inaugurated.

    “Today’s ceremony is an indication of the perilous times that we are currently in, which has resulted in an upsurge in litigation.

    “Several unfathomable crimes are being committed in the country, aside from the usual political matters that have made litigations to go on alarming rise.

    “No Court in the land is spared of this litigation deluge, as it were. We are constantly on our toes and the dockets are ever increasing in response tO the challenges of the time.

    “This underscores the tact that Nigeria is fast emerging as a frontline crime-infested country that we all have to urgently curtail.

    “The enormous task of cleaning the Augean stable rests squarely on Your Lordships. So, you must hastily fasten your belt and roll up your sleeves to face the challenges head-on. In other words, you should hit the ground speeding at a supersonic velocity; and not just running.

    “You must redouble your pace to catch up with the expectations of the sprawling community of litigants. As judicial officers, you have a divine mandate on earth that you must discharge with unveiled honesty and sincerity. You must give good account of yourselves to justify your elevation to the Court ot Appeal.

    “In the next couple of months, we shall be having two governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States, respectively. As usual, the Courts will be besieged with Plethora of petitions. It is our statutory duty to hear all matters that come before us and adjudicate according to the laws of the land.

    “We must not falter; and we must not tread the path of infamy. Yes, it is true that we cannot please everyone through our actions and work, but with the right application of the law and the Constitution of the land, which we all have collectively pledged to uphold, we can go a long way to do those things that our conscience will be very proud ot; and the generality of the Nigerian citizens will equally be happy about.

    “Every position we attain in life always avails us that unique opportunity to do something novel and impactful, especially if there was any previous act of wrongdoing or misapplication of discretion.

    “With Your Lordships’ elevation to the higher Bench today, you have to be very mindful of the enormous confidence the public is now reposing in you vis-a-vis their expectations.

    “Like we often say, to whom much Is given, much is expected. Your Lordships must not rest on your oars, as the onus now lies more heavily on you to discharge your judicial duties more dispassionately and transparently.

    “So, you must, individually and collectively, guide your loins to do more to earn lasting trust and integrity. Your conduct and disposition must tally with the yearnings and aspirations of the generality of the citizenry.

    “I have made it known at different fora that we have been treated to an unpalatable cocktail ot misleading and conflicting judgments as well as trivolous interlocutory orders emanating from courts of coordinate jurisdictions, which have literally attempted to make a mockery of our judicial system and flagrantly desecrate the revered Temple of Justice.

    “Several cases of such abound across the length and breadth of the country. This is, largely, an embarrassment to our jurisprudence, and we win never handle it with levity. Punitive measures must detinitely be meted out to such erring Judges.

    “We have already activated the process of reining-in such errant Judges with a view to making them face the consequence of their despicable and odious conduct.

    “As Judicial Officers, we have to continually remind Ourselves the fact that we are not occupying our respective positions to serve ourselves, but the Nigerian masses; and the best way we can serve them is by doing what will make them feel safe in our hands and also trust us to always deliver the right judgments that will not be tainted by sentiments, emotions or other clandestine considerations.
    congratulate

    “Your Lordships for making the list and wish you the best that you can achieve in this strategic position you now occupy”, the CJN said.

    Those inaugurated into the bench of the appellate court by the CJN, are:

    Abdullahi Muhammad Liman from Nasarawa State; Abiodun Azeem Akinyemi from Ogun State; Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi from Oyo State; Zainab Bage Abubakar from Kebbi State; Isaq Mohammed Sani from Kaduna State; Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo from Lagos State; and Ngozika U. Okaisabor from Imo State respectively.

    Others are: Donatus Nwaezuoke Okorowo from Enugu State; Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola from Kogi State; Polycarp Terna Kwahar from Benue State; Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike from Rivers State; Fadawa Umaru from Borno State; Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola from Oyo State; Ntong Festus Ntong from Akwa Ibom State; Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi from Edo State; and Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba from Abia State.

    The rest are Abdu Dogo from Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Abdulazeez M. Anka from Zamfara State; Owibunkeonye Onwosi from Ebonyi State; Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf from Kwara State; Victoria Toochukwu Nwoye from Anambra State; and Enenche Eleojo from Kogi State.

  • Strive To Maintain Public Trust, CJN Tasks Judges 

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has tasked judicial officers in Nigeria to work assiduously towards sustaining public confidence and trust reposed on the judiciary.

    Ariwoola posited that as indispensable pillars of democracy, judicial officers must distance themselves from all forms of indiscretions and ventures capable of bringing the judiciary to disrepute. 

    The CJN gave the charge at the opening ceremony of the 2023, All Nigerian Judges’ Conference in Abuja. 

    “My Lords, the importance of the foregoing cannot be overemphasized since what we do now will invariably determine the legacy we leave behind. 

    Justice Ariwoola described the conference as a “convergence of the most brilliant minds and mainstays of hope and order in the society” adding that the conference primarily serves the dual purpose of stocktaking and visioneering. 

    The CJN expressed dismay over the way decisions of the Court are treated with orders of the Court being flagrantly disobeyed. 

    “While there is no justification for this, it is impossible to divorce this unsettling development from the perceived image of the Judiciary as a mere appendage of the other arms of government, expected to do their bidding at all times and incapable of making decisions devoid of predilection. 

    He exuded confidence that the Conference, which is the first since the commencement of the new administration, will come with an improved disposition towards the welfare of the Judiciary especially as it pertains to the protracted issue of its independence as well as a strong desire to foster healthy and productive relationships among all three arms. 

    “It is my hope that the Conference will help drive robust discussions between the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary on fostering mutual respect for one another and also on strengthening synergies devoid of any subterfuge. 

    “It will equally afford us the opportunity to unravel the issues already identified, the bulk of which holds grave repercussions for Nigeria’s polity. 

    “It is also my firm belief that this interface will reaffirm across the board, our commitment to upholding the tenets of Democracy and the Rule of Law therefore bolstering the trust and confidence of the citizenry in the operationality of the government” Justice Ariwoola stated. 

    In his welcome address, the Administrator, National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Salisu Abdullahi, said the Conference provides a platform to give judges the 

    acclaim for their unrelenting devotion to prospering the ends of justice, and for their conspicuous role in nation building. 

    Secondly, he said the Conference affords Judges the opportunity to critically appraise happenings and developments in the course of the year, especially those that greatly impacted the performance of their functions and which holds great implications for the Judiciary by extension. 

    “In the same vein, while it is a cardinal rule of natural justice that no one should be a judge in his own cause, this Conference offers an apposite exception to this since it allows judicial officers to evaluate and critique themselves, Abdullahi said. 

    The goal of such evaluation, he said, is to enable advancement and growth within the Judiciary through the conclusions that will be reached and strategies that will be devised from robust discussions led at the Conference. 

    He stated that the theme of the Conference; “STRENGTHENING JUDICIAL COMMITMENTS TO THE RULE OF LAW AND DEMOCRACY”, will afford Judges the opportunity to recharge, recalibrate and re-strategize. 

  • CJN Decries Depletion Of Supreme Court Justices

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Friday, argued that the Supreme Court is now having the lowest number of Justices in its history.

    According to him, the Apex Court is having only 10 Justices on its bench to tackle the heavy workload of pending cases.

    Meanwhile, the retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Muhammad Musa Datijo, said without mincing words, that the number of Supreme Court Justices, which has hit an all-time-low of 10, has remained so due to deliberate action.

    Justice Ariwoola spoke on the occasion of retirement of Justice Musa Dattijo Mohammed who today attained the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.

    The CJN however assured that efforts are on top gear to elevate a sizeable Justices to the bench of the Court.

    “With Justices Musa Dattijo leaving us today after the retirement of Hon. Justice Adamu Amina Augie a few weeks ago, we are now left with just 10 Justices on the Supreme Court Bench; being the lowest we have ever had in contemporary history of the Court. 

    “However, I can confidently assure all the litigant public that efforts are in top gear to get on board a sizeable number of Justices to boost our rank and complement the tremendous effort we have been investing in the business of the Court. 

    The CJN paid glowing tributes to the retired Justice saying “I am so emotionally overwhelmed, and at the same time, profusely exhilarated to personally witness this uncommon valedictory session. 

    “This is not because I have never witnessed or presided over valedictory sessions before; but for the fact that we are honouring a quintessential Judicial icon with dazzling qualities and alluring stature who could, in one breath, be classified as a model of excellence that transcends the legal profession. 

    “My Lord Hon. Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad in whose honour we assemble here today, is an epitome of jurisprudential finesse; an insuperable lion with an irrepressible voice in the temple of justice. 

    “We are here to identify with an accomplished jurisprudential iconoclast that has offered the best of his intellect to the advancement of the legal profession through his several years of unblemished and incontrovertible adjudications at different levels of Courts in Nigeria. 

    “His Lordship has, by all standards, made an incisive inroad into the revered history books of the Nigerian judiciary as that gallant and eminent Justice at the Supreme Court bench who inviolably held sway in the discharge of his judicial functions. 

    “As second-in-command in the hierarchy of the Supreme Court, my Lord, Justice Dattijo, skilfully aided and supported me virtually in every sphere of administration. He is a specimen of hard work, industry, discipline and high moral rectitude. 

    “He willingly offered every support and encouragement that any leader would always wish to enjoy from a deputy to effectively meander the often stormy coast of court administration.

    “So, by this event heralding his 70th birthday anniversary, the time has come to cease from functioning as a Judicial Officer. Immediately after this Court session, a new page will ultimately open in the life of my Lord, which His Lordship and an entirely different set of people, that destiny had already assembled along the path of the second phase of his life, will begin to write on.

    “He is, indeed, a jewel of inestimable worth and an icon worthy of celebration and adulation. 

    “His Lordship is one judicial officer that could be blunt, even to a fault; and is never known to be afraid to say things the way they are; and also never shies away from calling a spade by its name, irrespective of whose ox is gored. 

    “Through his mien and conduct, His Lordship has succeeded in erecting an edifice of hope and optimism in the minds of his teeming admirers; and even generations yet unborn who will be privileged to access and behold his great works in the judicial landscape that have already been well-documented and displayed conspicuously in the shelves of various libraries across the world. 

    “My Lord, before I end my speech, I will urge you to passionately cherish and relish every moment of your life because, ordinarily, this ceremony we are all witnessing today will never take place again in your life time. From the depth of our hearts, we say happy 70th birthday to you and sincerely wish you good luck and God’s grace in all you do”, the CJN said.

    However, Justice Datijo in his speech at a valedictory court session to mark his retirement from the apex court bench, having attained the statutory retirement age of 70 years, on October 27, 2023, said,

    “It is evident that the decision not to fill the vacancies in the court is deliberate.

    “It is all about the absolute powers vested in the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the
    responsible exercise of same” Justice Datijo said.

    The retired Jurist was reacting to the reduction in the number of Justices on the bench of the Supreme Court, which is now 10, following his retirement.

    “That this avoidable depletion has affected and will further affect the court and litigants is stating the obvious” Justice Datijo said.

  • CJN To Inaugurate 23 Federal High Court Judges Oct 4 

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will on Wednesday October 4, 2023, swear-in the newly appointed 23 Judges of the Federal High Court.

    A statement by the Court’s Director of Press and Information on Sunday, Dr Festus Akande said that the Judges are to be inaugurated at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court of Nigeria at 11am.

    The new Judges are: Dipeolu Deinde Isaac from Ogun State; Ogundare Kehinde Olayiwola from Ekiti State; Agbaje Olufunmilola Adetutu from Lagos State; Musa Kakaki from Kaduna State; Abdullahi Muhammad Dan-Ige from Sokoto State; and Sharon Tanko Ishaya from Kebbi State.

    Others are Salim Olasupo Ibrahim from Ogun State; Yilwa Hauwa Joseph from Gombe State; Wigwe-Oreh Chituru Joy from Rivers State; Owoeye Alexander Oluseyi from Kogi State; Anyalewa Onoja-Alapa from Benue State; Amina Aliyu Mohammad from Katsina State; Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi from Kwara State; Hauwa Buhari from Federal Capital Territory; and Aishatu Auta Ibrahim from Borno State.

    The rest are Hussaini Dadan-Garba from Bauchi State; Ibrahim Ahmad Kala from Gombe State; Mashkur Salisu from Zamfara State; Onah Chigozie Sergius from Enugu State; Egbe Raphael Joshua from Bayelsa State; Ariwoola Olukayode Jnr. from Oyo State; Ekerete Udofot Akpan from Akwa Ibom State; and Ogazi Friday Nkemakonam from Ebonyi State.  

    Also, a valedictory Court session will be held on Tuesday 10th October, 2023, in honour of the late Justice Chima Centus Nweze at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court at 10am.

    As is customary, the Chief Justice of Nigeria will preside over the session which will, among other things, feature the presentation of tributes by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and President of the Nigerian Bar Association, in honour of the departed Jurist. 

    It will be recalled that Justice Nweze died on Saturday, 29th July, 2023 in Abuja after a brief illness at the age of 64 years. 

    He was sworn-in as Justice of Supreme Court on 29th October, 2014. He was born in Obollo, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State on 25th September, 1958. 

    He attended St. John Cross Seminary, Nsukka from 1972 to 1977, emerging with a Distinction in the West African School Certificate Examination. 

    He gained admission into University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus in 1979 where he graduated with a Degree in Law in 1983. In the same year, he represented the Law Faculty and, indeed, all Nigerian Law Faculties, at the Philip Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington DC, as the Chief Oraclist. 

    Justice Nweze did his NYSC between 1984 and 1985 in Bauchi, after being called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984.

    He equally had his Doctorate Degree in Law from the same University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.