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Tag: Supreme Court justices

  • Don’t allow personal ambition becloud your sense of judgment – CJN tells new Supreme Court justices

    Don’t allow personal ambition becloud your sense of judgment – CJN tells new Supreme Court justices

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has asked the newly inaugurated 11 Justices of the Supreme Court to be guided by the construction and existing laws and not be blinded by self-interest or extraneous influences in their decisions.

    Justice Ariwoola advised them that given their experience on the bench and past criticism, they should anticipate criticism and verbal attacks from losing parties in cases they adjudicate.

    The CJN spoke in Abuja on Monday, February 26, while administering the oath of office on the new Justices.

    He expressed satisfaction that under his tenure, the Supreme Court had finally achieved its full complement of 21 Justices, breaking a longstanding barrier.

    He said: “Your moral uprightness, integrity and respect for the Constitution and other extant laws in operation, must be unwavering and unassailable.

    “At this level of adjudication, Your Lordships should begin to see yourselves as the representatives of the Almighty God on earth, because any judgment given at this level, can only be upturned in heaven.

    “You must not, therefore, allow your personal ambition or any extraneous considerations to becloud your sense of judgment.

    “Your interactions with people of unenviable inclinations and pedigree, if any, must be halted forthwith.

    “Let your conscience guide and filter every thought that traverses your mind from this moment.

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    “I have no doubt that you may have, at one time or the other, been confronted with some form of criticism or verbal assaults by litigants who have lost their cases.

    “I want to assure you that more of such will come your way, especially as you now assume duties in the final court of the land, where appellants’ expectations are often very high and infectious.

    “There is no way you can please human beings, especially litigants. That is what it is! | am, however, making it abundantly clear to your Lordships, that the easiest way to fail in life is by trying to please everyone.

    “The only deity you can fear is the Almighty God. Once your judgment is in consonance with what God expects from you, and is also in accordance with the Constitution, you should consider yourself the happiest and freest person on earth.

    “Aside from that, every other thing you hear around you is mere noise or baseless agitation, which will naturally pale into insignificance when the chips are down.

    “Your elevation to the Supreme Court bench is obviously in recognition of your 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 the opulent experience and dexterity to bear on your adjudication at the apex court,” Justice Ariwoola said.

    On the significance of the occasion, the CJN said: “This is, indeed, an epoch-making ceremony. I am very much exhilarated to, not only witness it but also be privileged to administer the oath on these 11 eminent Supreme Court Justices.

    “It is a memory I will cherish all my life because it is unprecedented in the annals of the Nigerian Supreme Court. Like I stated in my 2023/2024 legal year speech, precisely on Monday, the 27th day of December 2023, the inability of the court to meet up the statutory full complement of 21 Justices had lingered on for too long, thus appearing to be like a jinx.

    “I thereafter made a categorical pledge that before I finish my tenure as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, I would, by the special grace of God, do everything within my ability to break that jinx and get on board the well-deserved full complement of the court.

    “Today, as it were, it is apparent that all that is now history; a very palatable one at that for the Nigerian Judiciary and the country at large.”

  • I did not order arrest of judges – Buhari

    I did not order arrest of judges – Buhari

    Following the arrest, last year of some Federal High Court Judges and Supreme Court Justices, an Abakaliki based lawyer, Onu John Onwe have dragged President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to court.

    Also joined in the suit are the Director of State Security Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu and National Judicial Council (NJC).

    The DSS had in a commando-style on the night of 7th and 8th of October 2016 raided the homes of some judges, searched their residences, arrested and detained them.

    Some of the Judges including Justice Nwali Ngwuta of the Supreme court are still standing trial for alleged corruption.

    Apparently worried at the manner the whole operation was conducted, the treatment metted out to the judges, and its legal and political implication on the rule of law and activities of the judiciary, Onwe filed a suit at the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki accusing the defendants of not acting in accordance with the rule of law.

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    Onwe also accused the President and Mr Malami of prevailing upon the NJC to suspend the said Judges and Justices from their offices and performance of their judicial functions.

    Onwe in an affidavit he deposed in support of the originating summons, said the President, the Attorney General and the NJC did not follow due process as stated in sections 292 (1) and Paragraph 21(1) of the third schedule to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the arrest, suspension and arraignment of the judges.

    He also claimed that the actions of the defendants induce insecurities in the judiciary and judiciary officers in the discharge of their duties and indeed in the enforcement of the fundamental human rights guaranteed under Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria 199 as amended.

    When the matter came up for a preliminary hearing Friday, the plaintiff who also doubles as the Counsel to the Plaintiff, Onu John Onwe told the court that some of the defendants including  Buhari, Attorney –General, DSS, IGP and NJC have been served while the EFCC have not been served.

    Onwe who is the plaintiff and counsel to the plaintiff had told the court that the court bailiff had gone to the EFCC twice to serve the anti-graft agency but that the agency refused to accept the service.

    Onwe noted that he instituted the suit to check the excesses of the executive, describing the invasion of judges homes in the midnight as unconstitutional and a flagrant abuse of rule of law.

    What we are concerned about is the interpretation of certain provisions of the constitution.  We are not contesting the fact even though the defendants are saying that I don’t have the locus standi to challenge their actions because it affects the whole nation, that one person cannot come and say that he is aggrieved on their action but I am aggrieved because their action is affecting me as a lawyer and that is why I am challenging their action. I don’t feel secure in my practice and also as a olitician – Onwe.

    Samuel Ede who is counsel to the National Judicial Council explained that the plaintiff is challenging the arrest of some Judges.

    “This matter is what the plaintiff called an unlawful invasion of the various homes of Judges and Justices of the Supreme court.  He said it has put his practice as a Lawyer on line or at stake. This matter concerns NJC because it is the body in charge of laws in Nigeria, it is a supervisory body.

    RELATED: Judgement without justice

    “The plaintiff is in a position to appraise the matter but this court is in a position to take its position on it”, he said.

    However, President Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation, who are the 1st and 2nd respondents in the matter, have denied issuing the orders for the invasion and arrest of the judges and justices of the federal high courts and supreme courts.

    According to a counter affidavit filed by Counsel to the President and the Attorney, Mr Balla Ali, the duo in paragraph 8 succinctly denied that the orders for the invasion and subsequent arrest were issued by the Buhari.

    “That it is not true that the orders for the act of siege and invasion of residences of the said judges and justices of the Federal High Courts and the Supreme Court of Nigeria were made by the 1st Defendant, neither did the 2nd Defendant issue any such statement owning and/or accepting responsibility for giving order and or directive authorizing the Department of State Security operatives nor agents to carry out any acts of siege, invasion nor searches of residences, arrests nor detentions of any such judges and justices for several hours in the DSS detension cells until the said judges and justices were released at any order of the 1st Defendant”, he said.

    The Presiding Judge, Justice Akintola Aluko, however, insisted that EFCC must be served before the matter can commence for proper hearing and adjourned till June 12 for hearing.

     

  • 17 Justices ‘okay for Supreme Court’

    17 Justices ‘okay for Supreme Court’

    •‘More courts, more congestion’

    The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Samuel Onnoghen said yesterday the 17 justices of the Supreme Court were adequate for the country.
    Onnoghen said the appointment of more judges and justices as well as creation of more judicial divisions were not solutions to judicial delay and congestion of cases.
    He spoke yesterday at the inauguration of the re-modelled and upgraded Court of Appeal, Lagos Complex, in company of Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr. Idiat Oluranti-Adebule, who represented Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
    Onnoghen, responding to a call by Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Vice President Monday Ubani for three more divisions of the Appeal Court for speedy justice delivery, noted that it will create more problems.
    He said: “We always think we can solve congestion in our courts by appointing more judges and justices and creating more divisions, because the idea is that the more they are, the lesser the job or workload.
    “But this has not been proved right. It has rather been proved wrong, because the more divisions you create, the more cases get filed. The solution doesn’t lie in multiplying number of divisions and judges. The more judges and justices you appoint, the more cases that get filed, which points to the fact that we have really not hit the nail on the head.
    “The solution lies in making every appeal to the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court by leave. It lies in controlling the jurisdiction of the court in the quantity, number of cases that get to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
    “If we have 21 or so provisions for vacancies to the Supreme Court, we believe if we appoint that number, it will be the solution? No.”
    Onnoghen observed that the United States and India with far more people than Nigeria had fewer Supreme Court justices.
    “Apart from the physical constraints the Supreme Court has in terms of space, there is another idea we should look at. Which of the countries in the world can you point to with that kind of number of justices on its Supreme Court bench? There is none. Even in America as large as it is, it has nine. Go to India, none.
    “So, the number 17 is adequate for our size, if we can only solve the problem of congestion by controlling volume of traffic that gets to the Supreme Court.
    “We say appeals should get to the Supreme Court as of right. Good. On matters of questions of law; yes. If it is on point of law, the point of law must be novel enough to attract attention of the Supreme Court. Otherwise, we are just playing about.”
    Ambode, who hailed the upgrade, pledged the state’s support for the judiciary.
    Appeal Court President Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa led a host of dignitaries, including Supreme Court Justices Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Sidi Bage, justices of the Sokoto, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Makurdi, Abuja, Jos and Yola Divisions of the Appeal Court.

  • Supreme Court Justices under probe step down

    Supreme Court Justices under probe step down

    Supreme Court Justices under probe for alleged corruption have voluntarily stepped down from their duties, spokesman for Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Mahmoud Mohammed has said.

    Ahuraka Isah said Justices Iyang Okoro and Sylvester Nguta, among the about 15 judicial officials being probed by the Directorate of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are no longer sitting.

    Isah told online newspaper Premium Times “None of the judges whose houses were raided and arrested by the SSS has been suspended by the National Judicial Commission (NJC) but the two affected Supreme Court Justices voluntarily recused themselves from all judicial functions since the raid occurred.”

    Seven Justices/ judges were on October 7 arrested by the DSS following allegations of corruption.

    While the affected judges have denied any wrongdoing, claiming victimisation for previous stands they took against public officials, the DSS said their arrest followed credible information about the judges’ alleged involvement in bribery and corruption allegations.

  • Eko, Augie confirmed as Supreme Court justices

    Eko, Augie confirmed as Supreme Court justices

    TWO Justices of the Appeal Court – Ejemba Eko (Northcentral, Benue) and Amina A. Augie (Northwest, Kebbi) – have been confirmed by the Senate as Supreme Court justices.

    This followed consideration of the report of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on the screening of Justices Eko and Augie.

    Committee Chairman Senator David Umaru (Niger East), who presented the report, prayed his colleagues to confirm the two as justices of the Supreme Court.

    Before voting, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, announced that e-voting would be used.

    Ekweremadu added that the Senate rule provided for three types of voting – voice, secret and electronic.

    He noted that because of the sensitive nature of the confirmation, e-voting would be used.

    After registration for the confirmation of Justice Eko, 39 senators registered.

    At the end of voting, 38 voted in favour; one against.

    For Augie, 40 registered, with 38 voting in favour. One voted against and another abstained.

    Ekweremadu congratulated the justices, noting that  there were many challenges ahead.

    The Senate, he said, expected the new Supreme Court Justice-designates to be just and fairs to all manner of persons in the discharge of their duties.

     

  • Buhari nominates two Supreme Court Justices for confirmation

    Buhari nominates two Supreme Court Justices for confirmation

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday forwarded the names of two Judges of the Court of Appeal (JCA) to the Senate for consideration and confirmation as justices of the Supreme Court Justice. The duo are : Justice Sidi Dauda Bage from Nasarawa (Northcentral) Justice Paul Adamu Galinje from Taraba (Northeast).

    The President said in a letter read by the Senate President Bukola Saraki, that “forwarding the names is in conformity with Section 231, sub-Section 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as amended).”

    The section, he said, gives the President power to appoint a Justice of the Supreme Court acting on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and subject to confirmation of the appointment by the Senate.

  • Security agencies watch-list Supreme Court justices

    Security agencies watch-list Supreme Court justices

    Supreme Court justices and judges serving on nine election petitions tribunals have been placed on a security agencies’ watch-list, it was learnt yesterday.

    The tribunals are those of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Yobe, Gombe, Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Delta and Taraba states.

    Besides, a governor and a former governor are being investigated for allegedly offering to pay for some judges’ vacation trips .

    According to sources, the Federal Government is disturbed that some governors and candidates in the last general elections have become desperate in their bid to influence tribunals.

    It was gathered that some petitioners and defenders had been dangling mouth-watering bribes before judges to sway judgment in their favour.

    The development was said to have irritated the Muhammadu Buhari administration, which asked security agencies to bring errant judges to book.

    It was learnt that the row generated by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike’s controversial visit to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmood Mohammed, has further motivated the government to ask security agencies to watch and protect judges.

    “The new administration is out to protect the sanctity of the judiciary. The era of impunity, judgment-fixing and hijack of the court or tribunals for selfish ends is gone,” a source said.

    It added: “The position of the Buhari administration is that each litigant and respondent should go to the tribunals to defend his or her petition. This position applies to all political parties.”

    It was learnt that security agencies have been trailing a governor and a former governor who offered to pay for some judges’ vacation trips.

    “The serving governor has been boasting that there is no judgment he cannot fix because he has the head of one of the courts at his beck and call. He also said he will be paying for vacation trips of some judges.

    “The former Chief Justice of Nigeria threatened to sanction the said head of a court when insinuations of his under-the-table deals got to her.

    “The ex-governor is also noted for bragging that there is nothing money cannot buy.”

    A source at the Supreme Court, who spoke in confidence, confirmed the development.

    The source said: “All judges are really on security watch-list, including those at the apex court. The security agents were called in to monitor judges and movement of money.

    “There is no tribunal sitting without any official of the Department of State Services attached to it.

    “But there are more discreet security personnel putting close tabs on election petition tribunals than those officially attached.

    “The position of the government is that these judges must be allowed to discharge their duties without fear or favour.”

    Determined to stave off pressure from election petitioners, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, recently banned politicians from his residence – a development The Nation reported exclusively .

    He also directed that his security detail from the State Security Service (SSS) and police orderly will henceforth be part of any interaction with Politically Exposed Lawyers seeking audience with him.

    The CJN has limited official courtesy calls by governors with outstanding petitions against them at election tribunals.

    The CJN put all these measures in place following subtle moves by some election petitioners to drag the Judiciary into politics.