The chief judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has invited the attorney general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, to nominate qualified persons for appointment as judges of the court.

Mr Tsoho also invited the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau, for the nomination in line with the National Judicial Council’s Guidelines and Procedural Rules for Appointment of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts.

He said candidates for the appointment should be from Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Gombe, Ogun and Oyo. 

The FHC’s spokeswoman Catherine Oby-Christopher announced this on Friday in a statement.

The statement, titled ‘Appointment of Further Nine Judges for the Federal High Court Bench’, said, “The Federal High Court of Nigeria wishes to notify all stakeholders and the general public of its further appointment of nine (9) judges.”

Mr Tsoho said the appointment of the nine judges was separate from the pending exercise for the appointment of the 15 judges earlier approved by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and NJC chairman, Olukayode Ariwoola.

The FHC chief judge explained that “the exercise for the consideration of candidates for possible appointment to the Bench of the Federal High Court with regards to some states will commence soon.”

“The states include Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Gombe, Ogun and Oyo. In line with the NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for Appointment of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts, the Honourable Chief Judge, therefore, invites Your Lordships, the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the President Nigerian Bar Association to kindly nominate suitably qualified persons from the aforementioned states for appointment to the Federal High Court Bench,” said the statement, adding that “all recommendations are to reach the Chambers of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court on or before the 28 February 2023.”

(NAN)