JUST IN: Justice Tsoho sworn in as Acting Chief Judge of Fed High Court

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, on Friday swore in Justice John Tsoho as the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

The ceremony, which took place at the Ceremonial Court of the Supreme Court in Abuja, came over 24 hours after the seat of the head of the Federal High Court had been vacant.

Justice Muhammad charged him to build on the successes of his predecessors in repositioning the court.

The CJN asked him not to be a hearsay man but to try and go round the divisions under the court and see things for himself and to appoint competent hands as judges of the court.

“You have a lot responsibilities, and I urge you that if you want to select more judges, try to select the best and only the best is good for the judiciary.

“Your court is the reservoir of work. Anybody who goes there must be ready to work.”

The CJN added that the judge should seek the corporation of brother judges and enhance the welfare of staff to give everybody a sense belonging.

The former Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice Adamu Kafarati, retired from the bench on attaining the mandatory retirement age of 65 midnight of Thursday.

Tsoho’s inauguration as the Acting Chief Judge was earlier suspended in the morning to await clearance from President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was not clear if Buhari eventually nominated Tsoho to take over as the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court on Friday.

After Tsoho took his oath, the CJN said it was a constitutional provision that the next most senior judge of the court could be appointed as the Acting Chief Judge pending the conclusion for the process of the substantive CJ of the court.