PROFILES: Meet 11 New Supreme Court Justices

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, on Monday swore in 11 justices earlier recommended for the Supreme Court bench.

By their inauguration on Monday, the number justices on the apex court bench now stands at 21 in line with the limit outlined by the 1999 Constitution.

There had been calls by relevant stakeholders that the apex court bench be filled in view of pending matters.

The CJN had also revealed late December 2023, that the 10 remaining justices presided over 1,271 cases, consisting of motions and appeals from September 12, 2022 to July 11, 2023, while “a total number of 91 Rulings were delivered by the Honourable Court.”

The CJN told the new justices that their appointment was in recognition of their astuteness and evident passion for hard work, which is the hallmark of judicial excellence.

“We are, indeed, very proud of your accomplishments thus far and fervently believe you will bring experience and dexterity to best on your Adjudication at the apex court,” Ariwoola said while advising them to see themselves as God’s representatives on earth.

Below are brief profiles of the inaugurated Supreme Court justices:

Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme

Nwosu-Iheme (64) was appointed to the Imo State High Court on November 13, 1995.

After over a decade at the High Court, she was promoted to the Court of Appeal in 2008.

In 2021, while serving at the Court of Appeal, Awka Division, Justice Chioma dismissed an application which sought the nullification of former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Professor Chukwuma Soludo as governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

Justices Jummai Hannatu Sankey

Sankey (64) was appointed as High Court judge in Plateau in October 1993 and was later elevated to Court of Appeal in June, 2006.

Sankey led the three-man panel of the Appeal Court sitting in Lagos, which affirmed the election victory of Ebonyi State governor, Fran­cis Ogbonna Nwifuru, of the All Progressives Congress, at the March guber poll.

Chidiebere Nwaoma Uwa

Uwa (63) was appointed to the High Court, Abia State, on November 4th, 1998. She got promoted to the Court of Appeal in 2006.

She was part of the Court of Appeal panel in Abuja that affirmed the re-election of Bala Mohammed as Bauchi state governor.

Haruna Simon Tsammani

Tsammani headed the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that dismissed all the petitions challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu.

Moore Aseimo A. Adumein

Adumein headed the Appeal Court panel that upheld the judgement of the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which affirmed the All Progressives Congress(APC) candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as winner of the governorship election in the state.

Obande Festus Ogbuinya

Ogbuinya was part of the Appeal Court panel which set aside the judgement of a Federal High Court which awarded cost of N45,119,933 against the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) over its alleged refusal to allow Best Quality Products and Marketing Ltd to make use of the new VIP lounge General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Justices Stephen Jonah Adah

Adah was a member of the Presidential Election Petition Court that dismissed all petitions against the election of President Bola Tinubu.

Habeeb Adewale Olumuyiwa Abiru

Abiru (64) was appointed to the High Court, Lagos State in 2001 and then, to the Appeal Court, in 2012.

Jamilu Yammama Tukur

In 2019, Tukur lead the panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, which ruled that the imposition of fines by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) was illegal and unconstitutional.

Abubakar Sadiq Umar

Umar was part of the Appeal Court panel that awarded cost of N45,119,933 against the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) over its alleged refusal to allow Best Quality Products and Marketing Ltd to make use of the new VIP lounge General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Mohammed Baba Idris

Idris led the panel of the Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal, on Friday, June 23, 2023, which upheld the conviction of a notorious international fraudster, Scales Olatunji, who was convicted for internet fraud and money laundering charges by a Federal High Court, sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.