The Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC) has dropped the name of Amina Bello, the wife of the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, from the list of nominees to be appointed as judges of the High Court of Kogi State.
Recall that on January 8, seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria dragged the NJC and the Kogi State government to court for shortlisting Amina for appointment into the state’s judiciary.
Following the legal battle initiated by the Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Amina Bello, has been booted out of the list of nominees.
The legal challenge, encapsulated in Suit No: FCT/ABJ/CS/05/2024, raised concerns about the fairness and merit of the selection process. Additionally, 17 Senior Advocates from Kogi State previously urged the suspension of new judge appointments until certain criteria, such as geographic representation and provision of necessary facilities, were met.
Meanwhile, in response, the NJC has approved the appointment of four individuals: Joseph Sunday Ajesola, Ojoma Rachael Ojoma, Bahamas Kadiri, and Ezema Beatrice Ada.
Furthermore, the NJC recommended the appointment of five Kadis and a judge for the Customary Court of Appeal.
Prof Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, who confirmed this development, hailed the decision as a victory against undue influence in the judiciary.
He thanked Chief Yunus Ustaz (SAN) and Jibrin (SAN) for their leadership in advocating for a fair and transparent judicial system.
