The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of nine candidates to the Court of Appeal bench and 28 other judicial officers.
It said in a statement posted via its Twitter handle Friday that the council made the recommendations at its 102nd meeting, which was held between 14 and 15 June.
The statement signed by the council’s director of information, Soji Oye, said the meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and chair of the council, Olukayode Ariwoola, made the recommendations after considering the report of its Interview Committee.
The report contained a list of 37 candidates recommended for various judicial positions.
They include nine nominees for the Court of Appeal bench and the Chief Judges of Kano, Edo, and Bayelsa states.
They also include candidates for President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Delta State; three judges of the Benue State High Court; five judges of the Delta State High Court; eight judges of the Edo State High Court; four judges of the Katsina State High Court.
The rest are a judge of the Customary Court of Appeal, Benue State, two judges of the Customary Court of Appeal, Delta State, and one judge of the Customary Court of Appeal, Ogun State.
Nine of the nominees, who are for the Court of Appeal bench, were recommended to President Bola Tinubu for validation.
The rest of the candidates for positions of heads of courts and judges of the High Court and Customary Courts of Appeal were recommended to the relevant state governors.
The full list of 37 recommended candidates is as follows:
1. NINE (9) JUSTICES, COURT OF APPEAL
i. Asma’u Musa Mainoma
ii. Paul Ahmed Bassi
iii. Hannatu Azumi Laja-Balogun
iv. Binta Fatima Zubair
v. Hadiza Rabiu Shagari
vi. Peter Chudi Obiora
vii. Okon Efreti Abang
viii. Jane Esienanwan Inyang
ix. Lateef Adebayo Ganiyu
2. CHIEF JUDGE, KANO STATE HIGH COURT
i) Dije Abdu Aboki
3. CHIEF JUDGE, EDO STATE HIGH COURT
i) Daniel Iyobosa Okungbowa
4. CHIEF JUDGE, BAYELSA STATE HIGH COURT
i) Matilda Abrakasa Ayemieye
5. PRESIDENT, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, DELTA STATE
i) Catherine Ngozi Ojugbana-Orishedere
6. THREE (3) JUDGES, BENUE STATE HIGH COURT
i) Lilian Ngusuur Terseer-Tsumba
ii) Patrick Eka Oche
iii) Ukande Mvendaga Peter
7. FIVE (5) JUDGES, DELTA STATE HIGH COURT
i) Ossai Rita Ngozi
ii) Aforkeya Obomejero
iii) Adolor Sunny Onorieukuhakpo
iv) Samuel Ifeanyi Okeleke
v) Umuko Aboyowa Godwin
8. EIGHT (8) JUDGES, EDO STATE HIGH COURT
i) Ovenseri Otamere
ii) Obayuwana Osarenren Mathias
iii) Edoghogho Eboigbe
iv) Ojo Maureen Osa
v) Bright Eraze Oniha
vi) Ehinon Anthony Okoh
vii) Godwin Jeff Okundamiya
viii) Osayande Ikwuemosi Awawu
9. FOUR (4) JUDGES, KATSINA STATE HIGH COURT
i) Nuradeen Abdulmumeen
ii) Halima Lawal Bagiwa
iii) Abdullahi Bara’u Faskari
iv) Sanusi Ma’aruf Aminu
10. ONE (1) JUDGE, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, BENUE STATE
i) Iortyer Vihilun Fidelis
11. TWO (2) JUDGES, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, DELTA STATE
i) Gbakeji Michael Emakpor
ii) Uraih Tracy Patricia Ifeanyi
12. ONE (1) JUDGE, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, OGUN APPEAL
Sofowora Oriyomi Abiodun
