The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghenhas moved to oppose his controversial suspension from office by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to The Punch, the embattled CJN will on Monday (today) challenge his suspension by President Muhammadu Buhari in court. This is just as the National Judicial Council’s 88th meeting in Abuja has been delayed following fears of a possible clash between supporters of Onnoghen and the acting CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammed.  A senior advocate, who is a member of Onnoghen’s legal team, told one of our correspondents that it had become necessary to do so as the suspension of a CJN by a President was unprecedented. He said, “We will be going to court to challenge the suspension of the CJN. The President relied on a CCT order despite the fact that the Court of Appeal had restrained all parties from removing the chief justice. “The CJN was not even served with the court processes before he was removed by the President. So, all these will be challenged in court. When the processes have been filed, the documents will be made public.”  When asked why the CJN waited for three days before challenging his removal, the source said, “He was suspended late on Friday and you know courts do not sit on Saturday and Sunday.” In another development, the National Judicial Council has fixed an emergency meeting for Tuesday (tomorrow) in Abuja by 10am. The meeting, one of our correspondents learnt, was called over the Friday suspension of Onnoghen by President Buhari. The spokesperson for the NJC, Mr Soji Oye, confirmed the meeting in a statement on Sunday night. He said the notice of the meeting had already been sent by the Secretary of the council, Ahmed Saleh, to members. “The meeting will hold on Tuesday and notice has been sent to members. I can confirm this to you. It is different from the rumour that was in circulation before that a meeting had been fixed for Monday,” Oye said. Also, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria has called a meeting for Wednesday. In a statement issued on Sunday by the National President of JUSUN, Marwan Adamu, the union said it would deliberate on the happenings in the Judiciary and take a stand after the meeting. Adamu described the situation in the Judiciary as unfortunate, insisting that the independence of the Judiciary as enshrined in the constitution “is non-negotiable.” What are your thoughts on this story? 

The new DIGs who were elevated from assistant inspectors-general are Usman Tilli Abubakar, who joined the police from Kebbi State in February 1986; Abdulmaji Ali, who joined the police from Niger State in February 1986; Taiwo Frederick Lakanu, who joined the police from Lagos State in February 1986 and Godwin Nwobodo, who joined the police from Enugu State in 1984.

In addition, The remaining two new DIGs who were elevated from the rank of police commissioners are: Ogbizi Michael, former Abia State police commissioner, and Ibrahim Lamorde, a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who hails from Adamawa State.

Mr Lakanu was the Force Secretary until his appointment. The new DiGs were named on Monday morning, police sources said. Their respective portfolios would be announced later on Monday by the Police Service Commission.





Their elevation comes a day after Mr Adamu retired seven DIGs who were his senior in order to pave way for the constitution of a new management team with whom he could work comfortably.

PREMIUM TIMES also broke the news of the retirement of the senior officers on Sunday night.

In a related development, The affected officers we Maigari Dikko, the DIG in charge of finance and administration and Habila Joshak, the DIG in charge of operations.
The remaining five DIGs are Emmanuel Inyang, information and communications technology; Agboola Oshodi-Glover, logistics and supply; Mohammed Katsina, research and planning; Sani Mohammed, training and development; and Peace Ibekwe-Abdallah, federal criminal investigation and intelligence.





The seven officers were amongst 15 senior officers PREMIUM TIMES reported were likely to be retired on January 17.

The seven DIGs and eight assistant inspectors-general were identified as having joined the police before Mr Adamu, who was appointed on January 15 after the former IG Ibrahim Idris was retired as he attained 60 years.

The new DIGs who were elevated from assistant inspectors-general are Usman Tilli Abubakar, who joined the police from Kebbi State in February 1986; Abdulmaji Ali, who joined the police from Niger State in February 1986; Taiwo Frederick Lakanu, who joined the police from Lagos State in February 1986 and Godwin Nwobodo, who joined the police from Enugu State in 1984.

In addition, The remaining two new DIGs who were elevated from the rank of police commissioners are: Ogbizi Michael, former Abia State police commissioner, and Ibrahim Lamorde, a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who hails from Adamawa State.

Mr Lakanu was the Force Secretary until his appointment. The new DiGs were named on Monday morning, police sources said. Their respective portfolios would be announced later on Monday by the Police Service Commission.





Their elevation comes a day after Mr Adamu retired seven DIGs who were his senior in order to pave way for the constitution of a new management team with whom he could work comfortably.

PREMIUM TIMES also broke the news of the retirement of the senior officers on Sunday night.

In a related development, The affected officers we Maigari Dikko, the DIG in charge of finance and administration and Habila Joshak, the DIG in charge of operations.
The remaining five DIGs are Emmanuel Inyang, information and communications technology; Agboola Oshodi-Glover, logistics and supply; Mohammed Katsina, research and planning; Sani Mohammed, training and development; and Peace Ibekwe-Abdallah, federal criminal investigation and intelligence.





The seven officers were amongst 15 senior officers PREMIUM TIMES reported were likely to be retired on January 17.

The seven DIGs and eight assistant inspectors-general were identified as having joined the police before Mr Adamu, who was appointed on January 15 after the former IG Ibrahim Idris was retired as he attained 60 years.





The seven police chiefs’ departure was in furtherance of the convention that recommends the retirement of senior police chiefs when an officer junior to them in service or lower in rank is appointed to lead the institution.





When Mr Idris was appointed IG in 2016, more than 20 DIGs and AIGs were compelled to retire from service to enable him constitute his management team.

In the same vein, Mr Adamu has now followed the tradition, which has been criticised as wasteful and demoralising because of huge resources the nation had spent on the vast knowledge the senior officers had acquired over the years.




The seven police chiefs’ departure was in furtherance of the convention that recommends the retirement of senior police chiefs when an officer junior to them in service or lower in rank is appointed to lead the institution.





When Mr Idris was appointed IG in 2016, more than 20 DIGs and AIGs were compelled to retire from service to enable him constitute his management team.

In the same vein, Mr Adamu has now followed the tradition, which has been criticised as wasteful and demoralising because of huge resources the nation had spent on the vast knowledge the senior officers had acquired over the years.