The National Judicial Council (NJC), at its 96th Meeting which held on December 14 and 15, recommended 64 successful candidates to their various State Governors for appointment as judicial officers.
This followed the consideration and deliberation of the list of candidates presented to Council by its Interview Committee.
The recommended judicial officers are as follows: Chief Judge of Enugu State – Justice Ozoemena Raymond Afojulu, Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Nathan Musa, Grand Kadi of Sharia Court of Appeal, Niger State – Kadi Abubakar Musa Mohammed Kigera, Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal for Adamawa State – Kadi Usman Aliyu Girei and the President of the Customary Court of Appeal for Osun State – Justice Shiyanbola Raheem Akanbi.
The NJC also recommended a new President of the Customary Court of Appeal for Cross River State in the person of Justice Eneji Maurice Odey as well as a new President of the Customary Court of Appeal for Adamawa State in the person of Justice Wajilda Peter while Abia State has Justice O. I. Nwamoh as President of the Customary Court of Appeal and Justice Blessing Lyop Dalyop as President of the Customary Court of Appeal for Plateau State.
The recommended list also include five Judges for the High Court of Justice, Sokoto State namely; Sanusi Shehu, Mu’awiya Dahiru Mahmud, Abubakar Abubakar Zaki, Mohammad Aliyu Sambo and Maryam Muhammad
Similarly, four Judges for the High Court of Justice were recommended for Nasarawa State. They include; Isa Ebini Kana, Ali Tari Changbo, Abdullahi Hassan Shams Shama and Solomon Wayidna Ayenajeh.
Also recommended by the NJC were two Judges for the High Court of Justice for Ogun State. They are Adeyemi Adekunle Adewole and Bello Safrat Titilayo.
Bayelsa State also benefitted from the recommendations of the NJC as four Judges of the High Court of the state namely Lockie James Benimo, Zuofa Ama Patience, Simon Warikiyei Amaduobogha and Christine Irigha Kombo-Enegesi made the list.
Also recommended are Daniel Ofre Kulo, Rita Otu Marshall, Odibu Emmanuel Ekaya and Obin Blessing Egwu as Judges of the Cross River State High Court of Justice.
In the same vein, Lagos State had 14 persons recommended as Judges of the State High Court of Justice. They include; Okunuga Olubusola Adeyemi, Adeyemi Adenrera Olayinka, Oshin Olufolake Olufolasade, Esq., Odusanya Oluwatoyin Atinuke, Martins Olumuyiwa Oluseun, Ariyike Mutiat Ipaye-Nwachukwu, Babatunde Oladepo Kalaro, Awope Omolade Jadesola, Akinkunmi Olusegun Idowu, Oresanya Olalekan Ayodeji, Oshodi Mujibat Iyabode, Ijelu Ismail Olalekan, Balogun Mosunmola Muyibat and Mathias Oluwole Dawodu
Rivers State also got four persons recommended by the NJC as Judges of the State High Court of Justice. They are Popnen Sylvester Sunday, Daketima Gabriel Kio, Nsirim Chinwe Amanda and Chinelo Chidubem Odili
Ekiti also had four persons that scaled the hurdles of the NJC to become Judges of the State High Court of Justice. They are Apuabi Johnson Ariyibi, Blessing Oluwabukola Ajileye, Olalekan Olayinka Olatawura and Oyinkansola Olumayowa Oluboyede.
The NJC’s recommendations also witnessed two Khadis for the Sokoto State Sharia Court of Appeal that include Buhari Yahaya and Umar Jibril Kebbe just as Katsina had one Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal in the person of Kabir Hamisu Bello.
The recommendations also include three Kadis for the Sharia Court of Appeal, Jigawa State. They are Bara’u Bashir Musa, Ahmad Muhammadu Lamin and Nasiru Abubakar Zargina.
For the Customary Court of Appeal, Ebonyi has Awada Paul Mgbada while Ogun State has three namely; Olukemi Folasade Osisanya, Odugbesan Idowu Adebiyi and Akinsinde Oluwasina Philip just as Cross River State has four new Judges of the Customary Court of Appeal namely; Obo Agbor Anthony, Ititim Felix Igobi, Eunice Oshim Dada and Ankpor Jeremiah Arong.
A statement by the Director of Information of the NJC, Mr. Soji Oye Esq. said that all recommended candidates are expected to be sworn-in after approval of the NJC based on the recommendations of the respective State Governors and the State Houses of Assembly, as the case may be.
