NJC denies knowledge of list of justices for elevation to Supreme Court

The National Judicial Council (NJC), on Thursday, said it was not aware of the shortlist of 22 justices made by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) for elevation to the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

NJC Director of Information, Barrister Soji Oye, said that the nomination has not been brought to his knowledge.

The FJSC had reportedly sent a list of 22 justices from the Court of Appeal for consideration by the NJC for elevation to the apex court.

The list, released on Thursday, showed distribution of nominees based on geopolitical zones, with the North-Central and South East each having six nominees, and North-East, South-West, and South-South each having two nominees, while North-West has four nominees.

This is coming after it became public knowledge that justices on the Supreme Court bench had diminished to 10 as against the 21 stipulated by the Constitution.

Below is the list of the nominated justices as reportedly released by the FJSC:
SOUTH EAST
Hon Justice Nwaoma Uwa (Abia State)—Priority

Hon Justice Onyekachi Otisi (Abia State)—Reserve

Hon Justice Obande Ogbuinya (Ebonyi State)-Priority

Hon Justice Theresa Orji-Abadua (Imo State)—Reserve

Hon Justice Anthony Ogakwu (Enugu State)—Priority

Hon Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (Imo State)—Reserve

SOUTH-SOUTH:
Hon Justice Moore Adumein (Bayelsa State)—Priority

Hon Justice Biobele Georgewill (Rivers State)–Reserve

SOUTH WEST:

Hon Justice Adewale Abiru (Lagos State)—Priority

Hon Justice Olubunmi Oyewole (Osun State)—Reserve

NORTH CENTRAL:
Hon Jummai Sankey (Plateau State)—Priority

Hon Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Sirajo (Plateau State)—Reserve

Hon Justice Stephen Adah (Kogi State)—Priority

Hon Justice Ridman Maiwada Abdullahi (Nassarawa State)—Reserve

Hon Justice Baba Idris (Niger State)—Priority

Hon Justice Joseph Ikyegh (Benue State)—Reserve

NORTH EAST:
Hon Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani (Bauchi State)—Priority

Hon Justice Abubakar Talba (Adamawa State)

NORTH WEST:
> Hon Justice Muhammad Lawal Shuaibu (Jigawa State)—Priority

Hon Justice Bello Aliyu (Zamfara State)—Reserve

Hon Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar (Kebbi State)—Priority

Hon Justice Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero (Kano State)—Reserve

The NJC Director of Information, however, did not categorically deny authencity of the list, but declined to confirm it on the ground that the proposal had not been brought to the attention of his office.

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