THE National Judicial Council (NJC) has approved the appointment of 22 judges into the  Supreme Court and other various courts.

Soji Oye, the Director of Information at  NJC, stated that the Council made the recommendation at its second virtual meeting presided by Justice Tanko Muhammad, its chairman who is also the Chief Justice of Nigeria,

According to the statement, the Council observed that there has been a steady decline in the number of its justices in the last two years which prompted the recommendation of 22 judicial officers across various courts, including the Supreme Court.

The candidates recommended for the Supreme Court bench, which currently has 12 justices, will add to the list of four others the NJC had recommended to the President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, the statement explained.

Names of the nominees were not yet disclosed as the statement revealed that their recommendation for appointment followed the Council’s consideration of “the report of its interview committee.

“The 22 judicial officers newly recommended by the NJC will take up the appointment as justices of the apex court, and as heads of other courts, judges of state High Courts, Kadis of state Sharia courts and judges of Customary Courts of Appeal, the statement read.

“Their appointment takes effect following the approval of President Buhari for the Federal Courts and the respective State governors of the relevant states.”

Meanwhile, the statement revealed that the Council also issued a warning letter to Justice K. N. Ogbonnaya of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory following its findings on the petition written against him by Uchechukwu Samson Ogah, for failing to release a copy of judgment delivered to the petitioner within the constitutionally prescribed period of seven days.

Oye also confirmed in the statement the Council also considered the report of preliminary complaints assessment Committee on petitions written against  sixteen judges and dismissed the allegations