Taraba Judiciary Gets Two New Female Judges, Totaling Three, Since Creation Of State

The Taraba State Judiciary has gotten two newly appointed High Court Judges after several years. This new development brought the numbers of female High Court Judges in the State to be three, since the inception of the State in Nigeria.

The first female Judge to be appointed who later became the State Chief Judge in 2012 had since retired on the 15th day of June, 2019.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Judges are Hon. Justice Vonkat Clara Jummai Gebon Timothy Kataps and Hon. Justice Kodiya Blessing Kazera.

The duo were sworn in at the Council Chambers of the Government House, Taraba State on 25th day of August, 2020.

Prior to their appointment, the subject had come up at the last Bar-Bench Forum meeting held in Jalingo, where this issue of what appears to be gender based discrimination in the State judiciary was brought to bear.

Meanwhile, Hon. Justice Kodiya Blessing Kazera Ishaku was born on the 5th day of October, 1980. She hails from Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State.

She attended Fatima Private School where she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate in 1992. She also attended Federal Government College, Jos and graduated in 1998 with flying colours.

Thereafter, she proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for her Bachelor’s degree in Law (LL.B) and graduated in 2005.

Moving forward, she attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Bar in 2006. She had her Youth Service Corp programme at Karu Area and Planning Development Authority, Karu, Nassarawa State.

In addition, she was the Assistant Chief Legal Aid Officer in Abuja from 2017 to 2018.

In another development, Hon. Justice Vonkat Clara Kataps was born on the 30th day of June, 1967 at Kaduna State.

She attended Zaria Children School, Zaria where she obtained her First School leaving Certificate in 1977. She later attended Government Secondary School, Kankia, Katsina State where she got her Waec.

Furthermore, she attended College of Advanced Legal Studies, Zaria and graduated in 1984.

Also, she bagged her LL.B degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1990 and thereupon proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and was later called to Bar in 1992.

Prior to her appointment as a High Court Judge,

she had served in the State Judiciary as Senior Magistrate in 2004 where she later became the Chief Magistrate.

Furthermore, she was the Deputy Chief Registrar of the High Court, Taraba State from 2012 to 2017 and later elevated to Chief Registrar from 2017 to 24th day of August, 2020.