According to a report from Channelstv, On Wednesday, July 10, 2024, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola will swear in 12 new judges for the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The ceremony will be held at the main courtroom of the Supreme Court at 10 am.
Dr. Festus Akande, the Director of Press and Information at the Supreme Court, announced the event in a statement released on Sunday, July 7, 2024.
The new appointments have sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians, particularly concerning the inclusion of Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike, in-law to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and the CJN's daughter-in-law.
Channels TV reported that the list of the new judges includes:
- Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria (Oyo State)
- Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo (Kwara State)
- Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi (Lagos State)
- Iheabunike Anumaenwe Godwin (Imo State)
- Odo Celestine Obinna (Enugu State)
- Hauwa Lawal Gummi (Zamfara State)
- Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh (Bayelsa State)
- Maryam Iye Yusuf (Kogi State)
- Buetnaan Mandy Bassi (Plateau State)
- Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike (Rivers State)
- Ibrahim Tanko Munirat (Bauchi State)
- Abdulrahman Usman (Taraba State)
The appointments have generated controversy, with discussions focusing on the perceived nepotism in the inclusion of relatives of prominent political figures.