The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, has announced the redeployment of several judges to new judicial divisions across the country. This restructuring, effective immediately, aims to enhance judicial efficiency and balance the workload among divisions.
According to a statement from the court’s Director of Information, Catherine Christopher, the new postings are part of ongoing efforts to streamline operations. “The affected judges are instructed to make their best endeavour to resolve all pending judgments in their current stations at the earliest opportunity,” Christopher remarked.
The reshuffle also includes changes to specific judicial divisions. Judges from Abakaliki and Katsina will now oversee all pending and newly filed cases in their respective regions, a move intended to ensure seamless judicial proceedings. Additionally, cases previously under Court No. 5 in Abuja will now be managed by a newly assigned judge. The public has been reassured that there is no need for litigants or their counsel to request case reassignments.
This redeployment follows previous shifts within the court system aimed at improving case management. Last November, the court executed a large-scale reshuffle involving 94 judges after the appointment of 23 new judges, as reported by Premium Times.
Concerns Over Frequent Judge Transfers
Despite the intentions behind the redeployments, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, has raised concerns about the potential impact on case continuity. In a statement during the 2024/2025 Legal Year and Judges’ Conference, Osigwe warned that repeated transfers might compromise the ability of judges to develop the necessary consistency and familiarity with cases.
“When judges are reassigned multiple times in quick succession, they miss out on the opportunity to build the continuity needed to administer justice efficiently,” Osigwe said. “This leads to delays, leaving litigants in a state of uncertainty.”
While the judicial administration continues to manage these structural shifts, the NBA’s position reflects a broader dialogue about how to maintain the balance between judicial efficiency and access to justice, especially in sensitive cases.
List of Judges Affected by the Redeployment
The following are the specific changes to the judicial assignments:
- Hon. Justice M. G. Umar has been redeployed from the Enugu Judicial Division to Abuja.
- Hon. Justice Tijjani Garba Ringim moves from the Gombe Division to the Yola Division.
- Hon. Justice M. T. Segun-Bello is transferred from Abakaliki to Enugu.
- Hon. Justice Bala Khalifa-Mohammed Usman is moved from Yola to Awka.
- Hon. Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed shifts from Awka to Gombe.
All redeployments are effective immediately. As part of the transition, the affected judges are expected to expedite the resolution of all pending matters within their jurisdictions.
Ensuring Judicial Continuity in Abuja
The public has been informed that all cases before Court No. 5 in Abuja will now be assigned to a newly posted judge. This change eliminates the need for litigants to apply for reassignments, simplifying procedural processes.
These moves are expected to contribute to a more balanced and effective judicial system, though concerns regarding potential delays in case processing remain at the forefront of the conversation.