Nigeria’s Chief Justice set to swear in 38 new SANs

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, will on September 23 swear in 38 Nigerian lawyers as Senior Advocates.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Press and Information of the Supreme Court, Festus Akande, on Wednesday.

Mr Akande in the statement said the 38 lawyers would be conferred with the rank on Monday during the special court session marking the beginning of the new 2019/2020 legal year of the apex court.

According to Mr Akande, “The swearing-in ceremony is one of the several programmes lined up to herald the 2019/2020 legal year of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“As customary, during such programmes, the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria will deliver a state-of-the judiciary address which is ostensibly to highlight the performance of the Supreme Court, and by extension, the Nigerian judiciary, in the outgoing 2018/2019 legal year.

“It will be recalled that out of the 117 legal practitioners that applied for the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2019, 38 were successful at the end of the rigorous exercise.

“Out of this number, three are academics while 35 are advocates.

“The Supreme Court commenced its annual vacation after a remarkably successful 2018/2019 legal year on Monday 29 July 2019.

He said all the programmes billed to mark the commencement of the new legal year will start at 10:am on Monday.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee led by the CJN on July 5 elevated the 38 persons to Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

Among the newly elevated lawyers are the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Adedayo Apata, and the wife of Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour of the Supreme Court, Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour.

Others are Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa,Abdullahi Haruna, Manga Nuruddeen, John Asoluka, Adedokun Makinde, Daniel Enwelum, Emmanuel Oyebanji, Abiodun Olatunji, Olumide Aju, Chimezie Ihekweazu, Prof. Mamman Lawan, Prof. Uchefula Chukwumaeze.

They also include Olukayode Enitan, Paul Ogbole, Olaniyi Olopade, Samuel Agweh, Olusegun Jolaawo,Tuduru Ede, Abdul Ajana, Ama Etuwewe, Oladipo Olasope, Leslie Olutayo Nylander, Olusegun Fowowe, and Andrew Hutton.

The rest are Alphonsus Alubo, Ayo Asala, Usman Sule, Safiya Badamasi, and Echezona Etiaba, Godwin Omoaka, Emeka Ozoani, Alexander Ejesieme, Jephthah Njikonye, Aikhunegbe Malik, Alhassan Umar, and Oyetola Muyiwa.