*As Justice Amina Augie Retires
On September 20, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will administer the oath of office to nine newly appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal.
This inauguration ceremony will take place at the Main Court auditorium of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, as announced on Sunday in a statement by Dr. Festus Akande, the Director of Press and Information for the Supreme Court.
The new Appellate Court Justices include Hannatu Azumi Laja-Balogun from Kaduna State, Binta Fatima Zubairu from Kaduna State, and Peter Chudi Obiora from Anambra State, among others. Each of these distinguished individuals has a substantial legal background, having served as High Court Judges for several years.
Additionally, it was revealed that Justice Amina Adamu Augie is set to retire from the Supreme Court’s Bench on September 21, 2023.
This follows her attainment of the mandatory retirement age of 70 on September 3, 2023. The valedictory court session in her honour, which was originally scheduled for September 3, has been postponed due to the Court’s annual vacation.
Justice Augie, who became a Supreme Court Justice on November 7, 2016, graduated with a Second-Class Upper Division in Law from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1977 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978.
With Justice Augie’s retirement, the Supreme Court will be left with 11 Justices, significantly below the Constitutionally stipulated 22 Justices. This development follows the passing of Justice Centus Chima Nweze of the Supreme Court in July this year.
The current lineup of Justices on the Apex Court bench includes Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, Musa Dattijo, Kudirat Motomori Kekere-Ekun, John Inyang Okoro, Uwani Abba Aji, Garba Lawal, Helen Morenikeji Ogunwumiju, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Tijjani Abubakar, and Emmanuela Akomaye Agim.
