TheCable

Eight new justices have been sworn into the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Ibrahim Muhammad, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), led the eight justices as they took their oath of office on Friday.

This addition raises the number of justices of the apex court from the initial 12 to 20.

Upon taking their oath of office, the justices ascended to the bench to be with their 12 senior colleagues who were already seated.

The newly inaugurated justices are Tijjani Abubakar, representing the north-east zone; Mohammed Garba from the north-west; Abdu Aboki from the north-west, and Mohammed Saulawa, also from the north-west.

Others are Adamu Jauro (north-east), Samuel Oseji (south-south), Helen Ogunwumiju (south-west), and Emmanuel Agim (south-south).

Garba was the judge who led the five-man presidential election tribunal which heard the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate, challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the 2019 poll.

The Garba panel dismissed Atiku’s petition against the election of Buhari. Aboki was also on the panel.