Daud Olatunji
The Supreme Court of Nigeria is set to lose two more justices within a space of less than two months, bringing the number of serving justices on the apex court to 19, following the retirement of Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji on Saturday.
The development comes as the National Judicial Council confirmed receiving notices of the retirement of six judicial officers and the deaths of nine others across various federal and state courts.
The NJC disclosed this in a statement issued by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, following its 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
The impending reduction in the Supreme Court’s membership follows the retirement of Justice Ibrahim Saulawa on September 29, less than two months before Abba Aji’s scheduled exit on November 7.
Saulawa, who joined the apex court in November 2020, retired after nearly six years on the bench, while Abba Aji, elevated to the Supreme Court in January 2019, is expected to leave the court on Saturday.
Their departures mean the Supreme Court will again fall short of its constitutionally prescribed full complement of 21 justices, having attained the milestone only in February this year following the inauguration of Justice Olubunmi Oyewole.
The latest development raises fresh concerns over the need for timely replacement of retiring justices to prevent further pressure on the country’s highest court.
Apart from the two Supreme Court justices, the NJC acknowledged four other retirement notices involving judicial officers from the Court of Appeal and state judiciaries.
They include Justice O.F. Omoleye of the Court of Appeal, who retired on October 6; Justice Ogechi Okehielem of the Abia State High Court, who voluntarily retired on September 15; Justice Theresa Isidore Obot of the Akwa Ibom State High Court, due to retire voluntarily on December 30; and Justice Munir Muhammad Ladan of the Kaduna State High Court, whose voluntary retirement takes effect on December 31.
In another development, the NJC disclosed that nine judicial officers died between May 1 and September 26, 2026.
The deceased judges include Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Kano Division; Justice Sambo Sammy Daka of the Kaduna State High Court; Justice Josephine Efunkumbi Oyefeso of the Lagos State High Court; and Justice Musa Mohammed Dallah of the Nasarawa State High Court.
Others are Justice Bello Muhammed Shinkafi of the Zamfara State High Court; Justice Edem Nyong Okokon of the Cross River State High Court; Kadi Aliyu Mani Yauri of the Kebbi State Sharia Court of Appeal; Justice Dorothy Sim Inwulale of the Kaduna State Customary Court of Appeal; and Justice Legor Torbira Senewo of the Rivers State Customary Court of Appeal.
The council expressed appreciation to the retired and retiring judicial officers for what it described as their dedicated and meritorious service to the judiciary and the country.
It also extended condolences to the families of the deceased judges, the judiciary and the Nigerian legal community, while praying for the peaceful repose of their souls.
The latest reduction comes against the backdrop of years of difficulty in maintaining the Supreme Court’s constitutionally prescribed membership of 21 justices.
For decades, the apex court struggled to attain its full complement due to deaths, retirements, voluntary exits, delays in the appointment process and what has been described as a lack of sufficient commitment by the executive arm of government to filling vacancies.
The situation became particularly alarming in 2023 when the number of serving justices dropped to an unprecedented low of 10.
However, the court made history on February 26, 2024, when 11 justices were elevated to the apex court in a single exercise, bringing its membership to the constitutionally prescribed 21 for the first time.
The number subsequently dropped to 20 in August 2024 following the retirement of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
The court regained its full strength on February 25, 2026, when Justice Oyewole was inaugurated, with Kekere-Ekun describing the restoration of the full complement as a significant milestone for the judiciary.
The CJN had explained that a full bench would strengthen the court’s capacity to sit in robust panels, manage its increasing caseload efficiently and ensure the speedy determination of cases.
She also stressed that having the full complement of justices was essential to enriching intellectual diversity, strengthening the stability of Nigeria’s jurisprudence and ensuring the effective discharge of the apex court’s constitutional responsibilities.
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