Justice Njideka Iheme
CJN Muhammad swears-in Odili’s daughter, 21 others, as FCT High Court judges
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad has inaugurated 22 judges for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, including Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, the daughter of former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, and Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Nwosu-Iheme was appointed into the FCT Judiciary in March 2015 and was until recently a Magistrate at the Wuse Zone 6 Magistrate court.
Justice Njideka is married to Uzoma Nwosu Iheme, the son of Court of Appeals Judge, Justice Chioma Nwosu Iheme.
Justice performed the ceremony, Tuesday, in Abuja, following the approval by President Muhammadu Buhari for the new set of judges of the High Court to be sworn-in.
A letter marked ‘confidential’ and signed by Buhari this month conveyed the President’s approval of the 22 judges.
Others inaugurated on Tuesday include; Fatima Abubakar Aliyu, the daughter of the immediate past President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa; Mimi Katsina-Alu Apena, daughter of late CJN, Aloysius Katsina-Alu, and Ibrahim Mohammed, the son of a former grand-khadi of the FCT.
Some others are: Nwabulu Chineze, said to be a sister to the presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Akure.
The remaining judges who were inaugurated include; Madugu Alhaji, Agunloye Kayode, Enenche Eleojo, Aminu Abdullahi, Nwecheonwu Elewe, Sadiya Mayana, Kanyip Indinya, Aliyu Shafa, Mohammed Zubaru, Oluyemisi Adelaja, Agashieze Odinaka, Aliyu Ahmed, Hafsat Abba-Aliyu, Olufolake Oshin, Binta Dogonyaro, Muhammad Adamu and Jadesola Adeyemi-Ajayi.
Speaking at the inauguration of the judges, the CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad called on the 22 new Judges to refrain from anything that would smear their name or bring them into disrepute.
“The bench is neither for the prosaic, the greedy nor those with questionable character who can easily fall for a plate of porridge offered by desperate litigants.”
The CJN charged them to rise above temptations and trials that might obstruct or even halt their rise to the pinnacle of their career.
“Appointment to the bench is not an appointment to wealth, vainglory, dishonest disposition or ostentatious lifestyle through corrupt acquaintances”, he said, warning that the searchlight of the National Judicial Council had been beamed on all judicial officers in the country.
“Our radar is sophisticated enough to detect every form of corruption and wrongdoings. The remoteness of your location of adjudication can never blur our sight on you.”
While informing the judges that the NJC has a powerful lens to capture and document their conduct, Muhammad urged them to be careful in their conduct to avoid regretting being appointed a judicial officer.
The CJN said the letters and words of the oath they have taken must reside in a prime place of their heart and be applied generously in their adjudications.
