*Swears in 18 Appeal Court justices

Olasunbo Goodluck, one of the newly-appointed appeal court judges, while taking her oath of office, said “so help me Allah” instead of the official “so help me God” in the concluding part of the oath.

As Justice Olasunbo Goodluck, a Muslim walked away from microphone, Ibrahim Muhammad, the chief justice of Nigeria, ordered her to return and say “so help me God”.

This resulted in a round of laughter from those present at the court. She immediately returned to the microphone and did as she was ordered.

The new appeal court judges were sworn in at the main court of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.

President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the appointment of 18 new justices following a recommendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Muhammad had fixed Thursday, April 29, to swear in the justices.

However, the inauguration ceremony was postponed indefinitely owing to the JUSUN strike at the time.

Ahuraka Isah, senior special assistant on media to the CJN, had also said another reason for the postponement was to enable the new judges “clear their desks in their various offices”, to ensure that there are no outstanding issues before they assume their new responsibilities.

The appeal court judges that were sworn in are Mohammed Danjuma (Niger State), Muhammad Ibrahim Sirajo (Plateau), Abdul-Azeez Waziri (Adamawa), Yusuf A. Bashir (Taraba), Usman A. Musale (Yobe), Ibrahim Wakili Jauro (Yobe), Abba Bello Mohammed (Kano State), Bature Isah Gafai (Katsina), and Danlami Zama Senchi (Kebbi).

Others are Mohammed Lawal Abubakar (Sokoto), Hassan Muslim Sule (Zamfara), Kenneth Ikechukwu Amadi (Imo), Peter Oyinkenimiemi Affen (Bayelsa), Sybil Onyeji Gbagi (Delta), Olasunbo Goodluck (Lagos), Adebukola Banjoko (Ogun), Olabode Adegbehingbe (Ondo), and Bola Samuel Ademola (Ondo).

TheNigerialawyer recalls that the inauguration was earlier scheduled to take place in April but had to be postponed due to the nationwide strike of the members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

The strike embarked upon by judiciary workers to press for the financial autonomy of the judiciary started on April 6 and went on to ground Nigerian courts and relevant institutions for over two months.

President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of the judges following their recommendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Rcall how the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, struck out a suit demanding three slots for the South-east region in the process of appointing the 18 judges.

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