CJN to inaugurate Oyewole as new Supreme Court justice

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, will on Wednesday swear in a new justice of the Supreme Court, Joseph Oyewole.

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The inauguration ceremony is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Courtroom Two of the Supreme Court Complex in Abuja, according to a statement shared on Sunday by the court’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Festus Akande.

Mr Oyewole, until his elevation, served as Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division.

Mr Akande said the appointment reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen the Supreme Court with experienced jurists capable of delivering fair and timely judgements.

“He brings a wealth of legal expertise and integrity to the apex court,” the statement said, adding that the judiciary remains committed to upholding justice, fairness and judicial independence.

Invited guests were advised to comply strictly with court protocols and security arrangements.

Background

Mr Oyewole’s appointment follows his recommendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC) at its 110th meeting held in January and presided over by the CJN.

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He was the only judicial officer recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court at the meeting, which also approved 35 candidates for various judicial offices across the country.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the NJC spokesperson, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, said the recommendations followed a rigorous screening process, including public input, background checks and interviews conducted by a seven-member committee, in line with the 2023 Revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers.

The NJC recommended Mr Oyewole to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court.

Subsequently, in January, Mr Tinubu wrote the Senate to screen Mr Oyewole and confirm his appointment.

On 3 February, the Senate confirmed the proposed appointment following the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, chaired by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC, Ondo Central).

Mr Oyewole’s inauguration will restore the Supreme Court bench, currently with 20 justices including CJN Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to its full complement of 21 justices.

Mr Oyewole, who hails from Ila Orangun, Osun State, began his judicial career as a High Court judge in Lagos.

Incidentally, he was appointed to the Lagos State High Court bench by Mr Tinubu as then-governor of Lagos State on 24 May 2001.

Reputed for judicial courage and high-level ethics and professionalism, Mr Oyewole, who was elevated to the Court of Appeal bench on 24 March 2014, has been in the limelight since his days as a High Court judge, handling sensitive, high-profile cases.

In 2005, he jailed Emmanuel Nwude, Nzeribe Okoli, and Amaka Anajemba for their roles in defrauding a Brazilian bank of $242 million.

The scam, considered to be one of the largest financial frauds globally at the time, was perpetrated under the guise of constructing a fictitious airport in Nigeria. The fraud led to the collapse of Banco Noroeste in 2001.

He also sentenced Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, widely known as Reverend King, to death by hanging at the on 11 January 2007, for the murder of church member Ann Uzoh and the attempted murders of others.

In October 2009, he sentenced Bode George, a stalwart of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to 30 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order, abuse of office and alleged illegal award of contracts worth N84 billion while he was chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority.

In January 2011, the Court of Appeal, affirmed the judgement considered to be courageous at the time. But the Supreme Court overturned the conviction and sentence in December 2013.