President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed 14 new justices for the Court of Appeal and eight judges for the Federal Capital Territory High Court.

This followed the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

A statement by the NJC’s Secretary, Danladi Halilu, said the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, will swear in the justices of the Appeal Court on Friday.

They are Justices Abubakar Alkali, Joseph Ikyegh, Tom Yakubu, Joseph Tine Tur, Rita Pemu, Philomena Ekpe, Chinwe Iyizoba, Haruna Tsammani, Samuel Oseji, Mohammed Danjuma, Ita George Mbaba, Akeju Olufemi, Tunde Awotoye and Moore Adumein.

The new judges, who will take oaths tomorrow, are Veralyn Venda (Mrs), Mohammed Kolo, Angela Otaluka (Mrs), Abba Mohammed, Valentine Ashi, Ajoke Adepoju (Mrs.), Usman Musale and Yusuf Halilu.

abeg i dey hapi for my oga o Valentine Ashi

Nigeria will get there one day , I am very sure, God help us.

This is just another baffling news about the Muslim community in Nigeria , I felt sad when i saw this new and really I don't know when Nigeria will be

healed of this mess .

Nigerian sect leader praises al Qaeda, warns U.S

[b]LAGOS (Reuters) – A former leader of a Nigerian Islamic sect behind an uprising last year which killed hundreds of people has issued a statement expressing solidarity with al Qaeda and threatening the United States.

Abubakar Shekau, a former deputy leader of the Boko Haram sect who was thought to have been killed by police in last year's fighting, offered condolences for the deaths of al Qaeda commanders in Iraq in the statement on a jihadist website.

"Do not think jihad is over. Rather jihad has just begun. O America, die with your fury," the statement said, according to a translation published by the U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group.

SITE said the statement was addressed to al Qaeda affiliated groups in Algeria, Somalia and Yemen, as well as Iraq.

A five-day uprising by Boko Haram around the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri a year ago killed close to 800 people, as security forces fought days of gun battles to end rioting by sect members.

Boko Haram is one of a number of militant movements in northern Nigeria which wants sharia (Islamic law) to be imposed more widely in Africa's most populous nation.

Nigeria, a vast nation of more than 140 million people and more than 200 ethnic groups, is roughly equally divided between Christians and Muslims.

Boko Haram's views are not espoused by the majority of Nigeria's Muslim population, the largest in sub-Saharan Africa, and there has been little published evidence of well-established links between Nigerian militants and al Qaeda.

West African Islam is overwhelmingly moderate but underlying issues of poverty, unemployment and a lack of education means sect leaders have been able to gain a cult-like following in some parts of the region.

A Nigerian man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, stands accused of trying to blow up a U.S. commercial airliner on Christmas Day last year with a bomb hidden in his underwear. He has said he was trained by militants in Yemen affiliated with al Qaeda.

But Abdulmutallab was educated in London and the Middle East and is not believed to have been radicalized in Nigeria.

(Reporting by Nick Tattersall and William Maclean; Editing by Maria Golovnina)[/b]

, HE was unquestionably the most popular judge on the bench of the Lagos State judiciary. Brilliant, suave, calm, he handles most of the popular and controversial cases in Nigeria. He was appointed to the Lagos bench in the early 2000s. Recently, the federal authorities took notice of his brilliance

and made move to appoint him to the Court of Appeal. He approached the Lagos authorities for recommendation but he was refused. Reason: He is not a Lagosian.

His lordship is not the only one in this boat which appears to be the lot of any civil servant who is not a Lagos indigene and who is qualified for the top job. Regardless of merit, non indigenes are tactically being excluded from getting to top posts like permanent secretaries and directors in the state civil service.

Lagos, a metropolitan city state has attracted many people into her midst, allowing for a situation where non indigenes have gained prominence in the society. This includes the Civil Service where non indigenes are even more than the indigenes.

The society has grown to become one through relationships like marriages, politics and economics. Non indigenes are known to have contributed even more to the development of the metropolis than the indigenes, who have now risen up to claim their natural rights. Non indigenes are known to have held positions such as commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors, and even governor in the state.

However all these seem to be changing as prominent indigenes have risen up to insist that indigenes must be given top priority in every appointment. One of such indigenous groups is the association of retired judges of Lagos headed by the revered Hon Ishola Oluwa, a retired judge of the Lagos High Court.

This group appears to have convinced the Governor Babatunde Fashola government of the need to give priority to the indigenes of the state in every civil service appointment.

If there is any sector where this is prominent, it is in the state judiciary. This has pitted the governor against the Chief Judge, Justice Inumidun Akande and the entire judiciary as the men on the Bench insist that the law and due process must be followed in all appointments.

In 2008, the former Chief Registrar of the high court of Lagos State, Mr Owolabi Dabiri was appointed a judge, creating an opening in his former office. By hierarchy, the Deputy Chief Registrar in the person of Mr Olugbenga Ogundare was supposed to be appointed to fill the vacuum. Rather than this to happen, his junior, Mrs Lateefat Folami was appointed as Chief Registrar.

To add to Mr Ogundare's woes, he deputised for Mrs Folami for more than six months while she was on maternity leave. Virtually all staff of the judiciary, including judges, in separate interviews with the Nigerian Compass on Saturday, confirmed that Ogundare is a brilliant and sound Chief Magistrate. The only difference is that while Folami is a Lagosian, Ogundare hails from Iyin- Ekiti, Ekiti State. But Ogundare had worked all his life in Lagos, pays his tax in Lagos and can hardly speak the Ekiti dialect of the Yoruba Language. When asked, the former Chief Judge, Hon Augustine Ade- Alabi was alleged to have said he was under intense pressure to appoint a Lagosian.

Ade-Alabi, like Ogundare is not a Lagosian. He hails from Ifon in Ondo State. However, he had a distinguished carrier in Lagos. He rose through the ranks in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice to the position of Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary before he was appointed unto the Bench of the State judiciary by the administration of the late Air Commodore Gbolahan Mudashiru, a Lagos indigene from Ikorodu.

If there is anything that is causing stakeholders worry, it is the new list of candidates to be appointed to the bench which the Lagos State government has allegedly sent to the National Judicial Council, the appointing authority.

Even the Nigeria Bar Association has scathing remarks on some of the nominees. The Bar gave a detailed analysis of every name on the list and some of them were said not to be worthy of the Bench by the gentlemen of the Bar.

Investigations revealed that the Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) invited candidates who want to be elevated to the bench to apply. Thirty people applied, and the commission conducted both written and oral interviews at the end of which it drew a list of 14 candidates. The list was submitted to the governor for ratification.

By the time the governor's list came out, it was radically different from the one submitted by the JSC. The list of the governor includes the following names: Christopher Ayodeji Balogun, Lateefat Folami, Kafeel Omobolaji Dawodu, Adedayo Adeola Akintoye, Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi, Olufunke Abiola Loko, and Ibironke Olatunbosun Harrison.

Others are Oyindamola Adeola Ogala, Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare, Olabisi Olasubomi Ogungbesan, Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe, Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu- Alakija, Seditan Sosi Ogunsanya and Olufunke Oshin.

A cursory look at the list reveals the first seven as Lagosians while the rest are non indigenes. Most of the names in numbers one to seven are junior to the last seven. The list submitted to the governor by the JSC had most of the names in the second seven on top of the list by merit.

The implication of this is that the NJC may give priority to the first seven when appointment is to be made. Right now, it is unclear the number of judges that NJC would appoint for Lagos State. The highest number expected even by the government is eight. This means all the non indigenes would not be appointed, except the NJC gets to know the politics behind the list and directs a relisting.

The Bar however did not agree with the governor's list as the Ikeja branch, otherwise known as the tiger branch presented a contrary opinion. The NBA list and recommendation which was exclusively obtained by the Nigerian Compass on Saturday reads thus:

Mr Christopher Ayodeji Balogun: ' He is a seasoned and well comported legal practitioner, clearly fit for a place in the Bench'.

Mrs Olabisi Olusolabomi Ogungbesan: ' Presently she is the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the state and ordinarily ought to qualify for appointment as a judge. However, the following facts should be noted.

a)That under her, the office of the DPP is tardy in the issuance of legal advice even where suspects are in prison custody for years
b)That she projects a weak and almost colourless personality in her prosecutorial duties in the court. We believe that if placed on the bench she would be a slow and easily intimidated and wrongfully influenced judge.

Mrs Lateefat Abiola Morayo Folami: She is a Chief Magistrate and the incumbent Chief Registrar of the High Court of Lagos State. As an administrator, she rates average in our view, but does better as a magistrate. However, she is noted for using leg-chain during office hours which is tantamount to improper dressing.

Mrs Ibironke Olatunbosun Harrison: She is a seasoned legal practitioner but we doubt her integrity vis-a- vis her fiduciary relationship with her clients. Presently, she is facing enquiries from both the NBA and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over her handling of a client's money.
Mrs Lateefat Funke Oluyemi: A hard working , diligent, and level- headed legal practitioner and author. A good material for the bench.

Mrs Oyindamola Ogala: She is a Chief Magistrate and Deputy Sheriff of the High Court of Lagos State. She is diligent and hard working. She also has good human relations.

Mrs Fatimat Ibrahim Kazeem: From our investigation, she is not known to be in active legal practice and such may not have a good grasp of the practical realities of litigation and advocacy.

Mrs Sedotan Sosi Ogunsanya: From our investigation, she is a state counsel in the ministry of justice and anonymous, having little experience in active legal practice.

Mr Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare: Presently he is the Deputy Chief Registrar (Administration) and was in the post of Deputy Chief Registrar (Special Duties) of the Lagos State High Court. He is also the Secretary of the Public Complaints and Training Committee. As an administrator, he is very diligent, conscientious, and thorough. As a magistrate, he is knowledgeable, firm, fair, industrious, and well comported with high level of integrity. He will certainly be a great asset to the Bench.

Miss Olufunke Abiola Loko: Our investigations shows that she is a gentle, amiable, and well behaved legal practitioner but with a quiet and perhaps unsubstantiated practice.

Mrs Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu Alakija: She is an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Justice, who to the best of our knowledge is not into active litigation until very recently. Even in court, her understanding of the law is suspect.

Mrs Iyabo Akinkugbe: She is a Chief Magistrate and a former Deputy Chief Registrar of the Lagos High Court. She is a humble and diligent magistrate with good comportment.

Mr Kafeel Bolaji Dawodu: Not known to Ikeja Bar.
Mrs Adedayo Adeola Akintoye: Joined the Lagos State Magistracy in 2005. She is now a Chief Magistrate. She is diligent, hard working, and calm. However, considering her inexperience in legal practice in Nigeria (she sojourned abroad before returning only in2005), she may not have the requisite experience.

Mrs Funlola Adesola Odunlami: Though she is a director in the ministry ofjustice, she is not known to be a counsel involved in litigation. She is known to be strictly an administrative officer and as such may lack the requisite experience and knowledge to discharge judicial duties effectively and properly.

Mrs Olufolake Oshin: She is a Chief Magistrate and a Deputy Chief Registrar(Legal). She is an amiable diligent and knowledgeable magistrate with good comportment and intellectual bent.

The NBA recommendation is certainly not favourable to the government A-list. Nor has the governor's list found favour with the judges on the Lagos Bench. As at the time of going to the press, the Nigerian Compass on Saturday learnt that the appointment of judges had been suspended by the new Chief Judge, Justice Inumidun Akande.

Our investigations further revealed that immediately after the governor sent his list to the NJC, he dissolved the JSC, the constitutional body set up by law to handle appointments. The JSC comprises the Chief Judge, Attorney General of the State, Mrs Williams SAN, and Mr Okunnu. A few weeks after, he presented four new members to the Chief Judge. Our investigations revealed that all the governor's nominees are from Lagos Island.

Justice Akande was reported to have promptly rejected the list on the basis that it did not meet the constitutional guideline for such appointment. Constitutionally, all the geographical areas of the state must be represented. These are Lagos Island, Ikorodu, Epe, and Badagry. This explains why the appointment of judges in the state has been stalled since there cannot be an appointment without the JSC in place.
Sources revealed that already, the state's judges have set up a committee among themselves to write out their position on this issue and other sundry matters, like the magistracy, and make their position on the known. The die is cast between the two tiers of government. It remains to be seen who will blink first.

Our investigations further revealed that the owner occupier houses given to the judges has become an issue between the two levels of government. The government is alleged to have directed that the judges must pay a certain amount of money within the next two months or lose the ownership of the houses. Sources further revealed that every effort made by the Chief Judge to see the governor on the matter has proved abortive.

This is not the first time appointment of judges is generating such furore in the Lagos State Judiciary. In March 2001, the then Chief Judge, Hon Christopher Segun faced a stiff opposition from the retired judges group in the appointment of judges and magistrates in the state. Segun however refused to budge.

In a petitioned signed by six retired judges, namely: C.O Bada, Ademola Adeola, Hotonu, Ishola Olorunnimbe, Ishola Oluwa, and Sikiru Adagun, the group upbraided Hon Segun for insisting on appointing non indigenes into both the lower and upper benches in the state. According to them, 'it is against the principles and protocol of indigenisation as practised and recognised in the other thirty-five states of the Federation'. But Segun maintained that acceding to the retired judge's request would sound the death knell of not only the judiciary, but also the administration of justice system in the state. He said: 'All they want me to do is to appoint their children as judges. Two of them had already approached me. If they think they can blackmail me, they have missed the road. I ask them, were they themselves appointed this way? They want to ruin the bench. If we do not appoint people that have been in service for upward of 22 years, who have been tested and found to be worthy, who are we going to appoint? If we accede to their request wouldn't the system stagnate?'

Appeals Court Judges are called Justice? Wow, in Nigeria, hmm ok.