The judiciary arm of Nigeria is headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria or CJN. The Chief Justice of Nigeria presided over The Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Nigerian apex court. Since the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, the Chief Justice have been appointed to head the Judiciary system.
The first Chief Justice of Nigeria was Sir Edwin Speed. However, towards Nigerian Independence, Sir Adetokunbo Ademola was appointed as the first indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria. Aloma Mariam Mukhtar was the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria is appointed by the president and confirmed by the upper chambers of the National Assembly, the Senate.
List of Chief Justice of Nigeria till date.
|
Chief Justice |
Term |
|
Sir Edwin Speed |
1914–1918 |
|
Sir Ralph Combe |
1918–1929 |
|
Donald Kingdon |
1929–1946 |
|
Sir John Verity |
1946–1954 |
|
Sir Stafford Sutton |
1955–1958 |
|
Sir Adetokunbo Ademola (First Indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria) |
1958–1972 |
|
Taslim Olawale Elias |
1972–1975 |
|
Darnley Arthur Alexander |
1975–1979 |
|
Atanda Fatai Williams |
1979–1983 |
|
George Sodeinde Sowemimo |
1983–1985 |
|
Ayo Gabriel Irikefe |
1985–1987 |
|
Mohammed Bello |
1987–1995 |
|
Muhammad Lawal Uwais |
1995–2006 |
|
Salihu Moddibo Alfa Belgore |
2006–2007 |
|
Idris Legbo Kutigi |
2007–2009 |
|
Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu |
2009–2011 |
|
Dahiru Musdapher |
2011–2012 |
|
Aloma Mariam Mukhtar (First Female Chief Justice of Nigeria) |
2012–2014 |
|
Mahmud Mohammed |
2014–2016 |
|
Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen |
2017–2019 |
|
Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad |
2019–present |