CJN Ariwoola swears in 11 new Supreme Court justices, preaches moral uprightness

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has now attained its full complement of 21 justices with the swearing-in of 11 new justices by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

Those sworn in on Monday included Justices Jummai Sankey, Chidiebere Uwa, Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, Haruna Tsammani and Moore Adumein.

Others who also made the cut were Obande Ogbuinya, Stephen Adah, Habeeb Abiru, Jamilu Tukur, Abubakar Umar, and Mohammed Idris.

After swearing-in the new body of benchers, the CJN admonished them to be upright and to “allow their consciences guide and filter their conducts.”

He also warned them to be ready for verbal abuse or criticisms from litigants who lose cases as justices of the highest court in the land, where appellants’ expectations are frequently extremely high.

“There is no way you can please human beings, especially litigants. The easiest way to fail in life is by trying to please everyone. The only deity you can fear is the Almighty God,” Ariwoola admonished.

“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.

“Your moral uprightness, integrity and respect for the constitution and other extant laws in operation, must be unwavering and unassailable. Any judgment given at this level can only be upturned in heaven,” he said.

This is the first time since 2020 that the apex court will have a full complement of 21 justices as prescribed by the Nigerian constitution, when eight justices of the Appeals Court were elevated to join 12 justices on the bench following a rash of retirements.

The bench has also been steadily depleting with only 10 justices remaining as at 2023 which the CJN had described as a shame and the lowest in the history of the judiciary in the country.

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