Federal High Court Judge

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, judge John Tsoho, has ordered an immediate transfer of five judges in various judicial divisions, as part of a broader reorganization aimed at strengthening the efficiency and operational accountability of the court.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Court Information, Catherine Christopher, it was revealed that six court officers were totally influenced by the decision.

Redeployan came after the new disciplinary action taken by the National Judicial Council (NJC), which reflects ongoing efforts to uphold the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.

According to the new post, Judge MG Umar has been transferred from the Enugu Division to Abuja and will now also bear the responsibility for all cases previously handled by Judge Inyang Ekwo.

Judge Tijjani Garba Ringim has been moved from Gombe to Yola, while the Chief Justice Segun-Bello moved from Abakaliki to Enugu. Judge Bala Khalifa-Mohammed Usman will now serve at Awka, having previously been placed in Yola, and Judge Amina Aliyu Mohammed has been transferred from Awka to Gombe.

The court instructed the affected judge to give all the delayed assessments in their current post as quickly as possible before moving to their new division. Meanwhile, judges who were placed in the Abakaliki and Katsina divisions will continue to oversee the delayed and new cases in the jurisdiction until further notification.

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Clarifying concerns related to the suspension of Judges Inyang Ekwo, the court convinces the perpetrators of the case and legal practitioners that there will be no disturbance in their cases. “There is no need for a guide or legal advisor to submit a request to the presidential judge for the re -assigning cases that were previously delayed before the judge Ekwo,” the statement said.

Judge Ekwo was suspended on April 30, 2025, for one year without payment and was placed on a list of five -year watch by NJC. Disciplinary acts follow the accusation that he issued a decision without giving a fair trial, which violates the revised behavior code for court officers. He was also accused of rejecting accusations in the case without considering the application to put aside the processes carried out without the parties involved.

In related developments, NJC also approved Judge Aminu Baffa Aliyu from the Zamfara Division, suspended him for one year without payment and placed it on the three -year supervision list. He was found guilty of violations of justice in cases involving the state government of Zamfara and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), where he issued orders that arrest the security agency from fulfilling their legal duties.

Judge AO Awogboro from the Lagos Division received an official warning letter after the petition regarding its handling of the civil lawsuit related to the police. NJC acknowledged the complaint but chose a disciplinary response that was less severe.

On the other hand, NJC rejected the petition proposed by one Abdullahi Liman, who challenged the recruitment process to appoint six federal high court judges in 2021. The council found the petition procedurally disabled, noting that it was proposed outside the six -month limit determined in section 11 (1) of the judicial regulation.

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