BREAKING NEWS: 22 New Justices for the Appeal Court

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, has approved the appointment of 22 new Justices to the Court of Appeal, further strengthening the judiciary's capacity to handle a wide range of legal issues. 

The President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice M.B Dongban-Mensem, submitted the list of 22 judges to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) to fill vacancies resulting from the elevation and retirement of some justices. The approval came during the 92nd meeting of the FJSC on March 27, 2024, where 89 nominees were reviewed. Of these, 22 were recommended for transmission to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for further consideration.

Chief Justice Ariwoola, who also chairs the NJC, was involved in the nomination process, solidifying the selection of the new justices for the Court of Appeal.

Here is the complete list of the 22 new Justices approved for appointment to the Court of Appeal, along with their regions:

- NORTH-CENTRAL: 

Hon. Justice Polycarp Tema Kwahar – Benue; 

Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola – Kogi; 

Hon. Justice Eneche Eleojo – Kogi; 

Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf – Kwara; 

Hon. Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman – Nasarawa;

Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo – FCT

- NORTH-EAST: 

Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru – Borno

- NORTH-WEST: 

Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani – Kaduna; 

Hon. Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar – Kebbi; 

Hon. Justice Abdulazeez M. Anka – Zamfara

- SOUTH-EAST: 

Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba – Abia; 

Hon. Justice Victoria Toochukwu Nwoye – Anambra; 

Hon. Justice Henry Aja-Onu Njoku – Ebonyi; 

Hon. Justice Donatus Umezuoke Okorowo – Enugu; 

Hon. Justice Ngozika N. Okaisabor – Imo

- SOUTH-SOUTH: 

Hon. Justice Ntong Festus Ntong – Akwa Ibom; 

Hon. Justice Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi – Edo; 

Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike – Rivers

- SOUTH-WEST: 

Hon. Justice Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo – Lagos; 

Hon. Justice Abiodun Azeem Akinyemi – Ogun; 

Hon. Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola – Oyo; 

Hon. Justice Bayo Ademola Taiwo – Oyo

These newly appointed Justices bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the Court of Appeal, the second highest court of the land in Nigeria and will certainly improve her ability to dispense justice in timely and effective fashion.