Supreme Court now has fewest justices in history – CJN

The Nigerian Supreme Court currently has ten justices on its bench, according to Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola’s statement on Friday.

He claims that the Supreme Court has the fewest justices in history, with just 10 justices sitting on the bench.

In the concluding court session for Justice Musa Dattijo, who reached the mandatory retirement age of seventy years, the Chief Justice delivered a speech.

But the CJN gave everyone the reassurance that all efforts are being made to quickly promote a sizable number of Justices to the Court’s bench.

“Just 10 Justices remain on the Supreme Court Bench, the lowest number in the court’s modern history, following the departure of Justice Musa Dattijo today and Justice Adamu Augie’s retirement a few weeks ago,” he stated.

“That being said, I can tell the litigant public with confidence that we are making every effort to add a significant number of Justices to our ranks in order to complement the enormous amount of work we have been putting into the Court’s operations.”

The CJN praised Dattijo, calling him an example of brilliance that goes beyond the legal field.

He declared, “I am extremely thrilled to be present for this unique valedictory session, but I am also extremely overwhelmed emotionally.”

“This is not because this is my first time witnessing or presiding over a valedictory session; rather, it is because we are honoring a classic judicial icon with brilliant attributes and captivating stature who can be categorised as an exemplary figure that goes beyond the legal profession in a single breath.

“My Lord Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, in whose honor we are gathered here today, is the pinnacle of jurisprudential grace; an unstoppable lion in the temple of justice with an unquenchable voice.

“We are here to honor a distinguished jurisprudential iconoclast who has dedicated his many years of impeccable and unchallenged judgments at various Nigerian court levels to the progress of the legal profession.

By all accounts, His Lordship has made a profound impact on the highly regarded history books of the Nigerian judiciary as the valiant and distinguished Justice on the Supreme Court bench who unwaveringly maintained authority in the performance of his judicial duties.

“My Lord, Justice Dattijo, skillfully assisted and backed me almost in every domain of administration as second-in-command in the Supreme Court hierarchy. He is an excellent example of diligence, industry, self-control, and moral rectitude.

He voluntarily provided all the assistance and motivation a leader could hope for from a deputy in order to successfully navigate the frequently rough waters of court administration.

The time to stop serving as a judicial officer has therefore arrived, as this event marks his 70th birthday anniversary. After this Court session, my Lord’s life will finally turn a new page that His Lordship and a completely different group of people—whom destiny had already brought together during the course of his second phase of life—will start writing on.

“He is undoubtedly a treasure of immeasurable value and a symbol deserving of praise and admiration. His Lordship is a judge who can be frank, often to the point of being irritating. He also has a reputation for telling it like it is and doesn’t hesitate to call a spade when one’s ox is gored.

“His Lordship has succeeded in building an edifice of hope and optimism in the minds of his throngs of admirers—and even future generations who will have the honor to access and witness his great works in the judicial landscape that have already been well-documented and prominently displayed in the shelves of various libraries across the world—through his mien and conduct.”