TheCable

Olasunbo Goodluck, one of the newly-appointed appeal court judges, while taking her oath of office, said “so help me Allah” instead of the official “so help me God” in the concluding part of the oath.

As Goodluck walked away from microphone, Ibrahim Muhammad, the chief justice of Nigeria, ordered her to return and say “so help me God”.

This resulted in a round of laughter from those present at the court. She immediately returned to the microphone and did as she was ordered.

The new appeal court judges were sworn in at the main court of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.

President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the appointment of 18 new justices following a recommendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Muhammad had fixed Thursday, April 29, to swear in the justices.

However, the inauguration ceremony was postponed indefinitely owing to the JUSUN strike at the time.

Ahuraka Isah, senior special assistant on media to the CJN, had also said another reason for the postponement was to enable the new judges “clear their desks in their various offices”, to ensure that there are no outstanding issues before they assume their new responsibilities.

The appeal court judges that were sworn in are Mohammed Danjuma (Niger State), Muhammad Ibrahim Sirajo (Plateau), Abdul-Azeez Waziri (Adamawa), Yusuf A. Bashir (Taraba), Usman A. Musale (Yobe), Ibrahim Wakili Jauro (Yobe), Abba Bello Mohammed (Kano State), Bature Isah Gafai (Katsina), and Danlami Zama Senchi (Kebbi).

Others are Mohammed Lawal Abubakar (Sokoto), Hassan Muslim Sule (Zamfara), Kenneth Ikechukwu Amadi (Imo), Peter Oyinkenimiemi Affen (Bayelsa), Sybil Onyeji Gbagi (Delta), Olasunbo Goodluck (Lagos), Adebukola Banjoko (Ogun), Olabode Adegbehingbe (Ondo), and Bola Samuel Ademola (Ondo).