The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of 22 judges to the appeal court.

In a statement on Friday, Soji Oye, NJC’s director of information, announced that 86 judicial officers were recommended as judges for federal and state courts.

Oye said the recommended judicial officers will be sworn in after approvals from President Bola Tinubu and their respective state governors.

Among the judges recommended for elevation to the court of appeal is Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette, a judge at Rivers high court.

Suzzette is the wife of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

Also, Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria, the daughter-in-law of Olukayode Ariwoola, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), was among those recommended as judges of the FCT high court.

FULL LIST

JUSTICES OF COURT OF APPEAL

1. Hon. Justice Kwahar Polycarp Terna
2. Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola
3. Hon. Justice Eleojo Eneche
4. Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf
5. Hon. Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman
6. Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo
7. Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru
8. Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani
9. Hon. Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of 22 judges to the appeal court.

In a statement on Friday, Soji Oye, NJC’s director of information, announced that 86 judicial officers were recommended as judges for federal and state courts.

Oye said the recommended judicial officers will be sworn in after approvals from President Bola Tinubu and their respective state governors.

Among the judges recommended for elevation to the court of appeal is Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette, a judge at Rivers high court.

Suzzette is the wife of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

Also, Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria, the daughter-in-law of Olukayode Ariwoola, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), was among those recommended as judges of the FCT high court.

FULL LIST

JUSTICES OF COURT OF APPEAL

1. Hon. Justice Kwahar Polycarp Terna
2. Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola
3. Hon. Justice Eleojo Eneche

4. Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf
5. Hon. Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman
6. Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo
7. Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru
8. Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani
9. Hon. Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar

10. Hon. Justice Abdulazeez M. Anka
11. Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba
12. Hon. Justice Nwoye Victoria Tochukwu
13. Hon. Justice Nwabunkeonye Onwosi
14. Hon. Justice Okorowo Donatus Uwaezuoke
15. Hon. Justice Ngozika Uwazurunonye Okaisabor
16. Hon. Justice Ntong Festus Ntong
17. Hon. Justice Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi
18. Hon. Justice Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette
19. Hon. Justice Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo
20. Hon. Justice Akinyemi Abiodun Azeem
21. Hon. Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola
22. Hon. Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi

JUDGES OF HIGH COURT, FCT ABUJA

1. Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo
2. Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi
3. Anumaenwe Godwin Iheabunike
4. Odo Celestine Obinna
5. Hauwa Lawal Gummi
6. Abdurahman Usman
7. Buetnaan Mandy Bassi
8. Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh
9. Maryan Iye Yusuf
10. Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria
11. Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike
12. Munirat Ibrahim Tanko

JUDGES OF IMO STATE HIGH COURT

1. Akowundu Cletus Ndubuisi
2. Uchenna Mary Njoku
3. Chibuogwu Ojiugo Chukwumaeze
4. Ononogbo Chidi Linus
5. Adaego Peace Nosiri
6. Emeka Ozoma Orafu
7. Mathew Chinedu Ijezie

JUDGES OF BAUCH STATE HIGH COURT

1. Amin Umar Ilelah
2. Aliyu Bin Idris
3. Ahmed Shuaibu Ningi
4. Shafa’u Ladan Yusuf
5. Abdussalam Idris Waziri
6. Kawu A. Yerima

JUDGES OF TARABA STATE HIGH COURT

1. Hamidu Audu
2. Bibonga Jeniffer Nauma
3. Joel Daniel Ubandoma

JUDGES OF LAGOS STATE HIGH COURT

1. Sunmonu Tunde Bashiru
2. Azeez Fimisola Augusta
3. Alebiosu Olawale Lawal
4. Adewale Russel Musiliu
5. Popoola Oluwatosin Ajose
6. Anjorin-Ajose Tanimola Abdulwaheed
7. Muyideen Abdul-Raheem Tejumade
8. George Alfred Akingbola
9. Balogun Adegboyega Ganiu
10. Shonubi Adenike Kudirat
11. Badejo-Okusanya Yewande Jokotola
12. Layinka Oyeladun Amope
13. Ojuromi Nalirat Olayinka Oluwatosin

JUDGES OF KOGI STATE HIGH COURT

1. Ajesola Joseph Sunday
2. Ojoma Rachael Haruna
3. Kadiri Badama
4. Ezema Beatrice Ada

JUDGES OF JIGAWA STATE HIGH COURT

1. Mohammad El-Usman
2. Nilfa Abdullahi Gambo

KADIS OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, BAUCHI STATE

1. Ishaku Magaji
2. Abdurrahman Hassan Sabo
3. Bello Mohammed Sambowal
4. Muhyiddeen Mohammed
5. Mahmoud Idris Shehu Tiyin

KADIS OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Muhammad Muhammad Bello
2. Okino Isah Saidu
3. Yakubu Adavenge Abbas
4. Shaibu Ridwan Aliyu
5. Idris Alhaji Abdullahi

KADI OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, JIGAWA STATE

1. Mukhtar Shuaibu Adam

JUDGES OF IMO STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL

1. Everyman Ezenna Eleanya
2. Ofoha Sylvesta Uchenna
3. Ibeh Rosemond Oluchi

JUDGES OF CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, TARABA STATE

1. Esther Tata
2. Benjamin Samuila Bawage

JUDGE OF CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Maryann Oziohu Otaru

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has inaugurated a radio station to disseminate information about the activities of the anti-graft agency.

The event held on Thursday at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking at the inauguration, Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the commission, said the agency is now in “a better position to tell our stories factually, ungarnished and unspun”.

“For us in the EFCC, owning a radio station is not a status symbol, but an important organ of mobilisation against graft where communication and public engagement have the same impact and depth as our operational activities,” he said.

“Communication offers us stronger weapons for breaking half-truths, lies, insinuations and other distortions of the works we do.

“Indeed, with our own radio station, we are in a better position to tell our stories, factually, ungarnished and unspun.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the commissioning of this ultra-modern radio station today opens a new phase of fully integrated, mass-based and all-inclusive fight against corrupt practices by the EFCC.

“The station offers the commission a platform for discussions, marketplace of ideas and sounding board of knowing the pulse of the nation concerning our work. It will also provide real-time feedback from the public about the work of the commission.

“To this end, I want to use this opportunity to invite all stakeholders to make the EFCC Radio 97.3FM your station of choice for authentic news and features about anti-corruption and good governance.

“Let us see this new feather in the cap of the EFCC as a window of opportunity for participation and whistle-blowing.

“Let us also see it as a platform of linking up with our day-to-day activities for information, enlightenment and, of course, entertainment.”

Also speaking at the event, Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, commended the EFCC for its efforts in combatting corruption, and charged employees of the new radio station to operate in line with global best practices.

“The EFCC should be deliberate and strategic about shaping the narratives around the war against corruption,” the minister said.

“The Ministry of Information and National Orientation, in collaboration with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), will ensure that other relevant public sector agencies tow similar paths and contribute to the task of informing, enlightening and sensitising the public.”

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday dismissed a bail application filed by the detained Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, held that based on the affidavit evidence before him, Gambaryan would jump bail if the application was granted.

“I have carefully considered the affidavit evidence before me and I am of the view that the applicant will jump bail if granted bail,” Justice Nwite declared.

However, the judge ordered an accelerated hearing in the trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Nwite had, on April 23, fixed today for the ruling after counsel for the EFCC, Ekele Iheanacho, and Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, SAN, adopted their processes and argued their case against and for the bail plea.

Justice Nwite had ordered the remand of Gambaryan in Kuje Correctional Centre after he pleaded not guilty to the money laundering charges preferred against him by the EFCC.

The EFCC had accused Binance Holdings Limited, Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, another agent of the company, of allegedly conspiring amongst themselves to conceal the origin of the financial proceeds of their alleged unlawful activities in Nigeria including $35,400, 000.

They were alleged to have committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, among others.

However, Anjarwalla escaped from lawful custody on March 22 and fled Nigeria for Kenya. Mordi, on Gambaryan’s behalf, had filed an application seeking an order of the court, to release his client on bail pending the hearing and determination of the substantive case.

Mordi, in the last adjourned date, had argued that the EFCC had failed to produce any credible evidence to oppose his application. According to him, the complainant’s allegation that Gambaryan was arranging to escape from custody like his colleague was false.

“There is no exhibit or document displaying EFCC’s credible intelligence. But EFCC’s lawyer disagreed with Mordi.”

Iheanacho argued that the court would have taken a grave risk by granting the Binance agent bail because he had no attachment to any community in Nigeria or competent person to stand as his surety. He contended that Gambaryan attempted to apply for a new United States passport while in detention knowing fully well his International passport was seized by the Nigerian state.

The lawyer said he was a flight risk and that if granted bail, he would jump bail like his colleague. He disagreed with Mordi that the commission had not provided credible evidence that Gambaryan was planning to escape.

He said going by the deposition in their counter affidavit, the deponent was one of the investigative teams that investigated the case. He urged the court to dismiss the bail application.

In the alternative, he advised the court to return the applicant to EFCC custody if the judge decided to grant him bail.