The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has ordered the immediate redeployment of five judges across various judicial divisions, as part of a broader reorganization aimed at strengthening the court’s operational efficiency and accountability.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the court’s Director of Information, Catherine Christopher, it was revealed that six judicial officers in total were affected by the decision.
The redeployments come in the wake of recent disciplinary actions taken by the National Judicial Council (NJC), reflecting ongoing efforts to uphold the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.
According to the new postings, Justice M.G. Umar has been moved from the Enugu Division to Abuja and will now also assume responsibility for all cases previously handled by Justice Inyang Ekwo.
Justice Tijjani Garba Ringim has been reassigned from Gombe to Yola, while Justice M.T. Segun-Bello is moving from Abakaliki to Enugu. Justice Bala Khalifa-Mohammed Usman will now serve in Awka, having previously been stationed in Yola, and Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed has been transferred from Awka to Gombe.
The court instructed the affected judges to deliver all pending judgments in their current postings as quickly as possible before relocating to their new divisions. Meanwhile, judges stationed in the Abakaliki and Katsina divisions will continue to oversee pending and new cases in those jurisdictions until further notice.
Clarifying concerns related to the suspension of Justice Inyang Ekwo, the court assured litigants and legal practitioners that there would be no disruption to their cases. “There is no need for litigants or counsel to apply to the Chief Judge for the reassignment of cases previously pending before Justice Ekwo,” the statement read.
Justice Ekwo was suspended on April 30, 2025, for one year without pay and placed on a five-year watchlist by the NJC. The disciplinary action followed allegations that he issued rulings without granting fair hearing, in violation of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers. He was also accused of dismissing charges in a case without considering an application to set aside proceedings conducted in the absence of the parties involved.
In a related development, the NJC also sanctioned Justice Aminu Baffa Aliyu of the Zamfara Division, suspending him for one year without pay and placing him on a three-year watchlist. He was found guilty of judicial misconduct in a case involving the Zamfara State government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he issued an order restraining security agencies from fulfilling their statutory duties.
Justice A.O. Awogboro of the Lagos Division received a formal letter of caution following a petition regarding his handling of a police-related civil suit. The NJC acknowledged the complaint but opted for a less severe disciplinary response.
On the other hand, the NJC dismissed a petition filed by one Abdullahi Liman, who challenged the recruitment process for appointing six Federal High Court judges in 2021. The Council found the petition to be procedurally defective, noting that it was filed outside the six-month limit stipulated in Section 11(1) of the Judicial Discipline Regulations.
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