BREAKING: Chief of Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad resigns

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad has reportedly resigned his position, Arise News reports.

Sources gathered that Justice Muhammad resigned on Sunday night, citing ill-health as the reason for his decision.

Information also has it that arrangements are ongoing to swear in the next most senior justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

According to reports, a formal announcement will be made shortly.

Until his resignation, reports had it that Justice Muhammad was seriously ill.

Newsflash Nigeria recalls that a letter was recently leaked were justices of the Supreme Court expressed their concerns over their budgetary allocations that have not been increased in the last four years.

Some of the issues raised by the justices in the letter include the failure to replace dilapidated vehicles, accommodation problems, poor healthcare services at the Supreme Court clinic, and poor electricity supply.

The justices also lamented the increase in electricity tariffs, no modified allowances to reflect the increase in diesel prices and lack of internet services in their chambers.

The justices called Mr Tanko’s attention to an internal memo served by the Chief Registrar, which notified judges that electricity would be supplied to the court between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily, due to the lack of diesel.

Other issues covered the non-signing of amended Court Rules, an abrupt stoppage of foreign workshops and training per annum for justices and no provision of qualified legal assistants.

As such, the judges called Mr Tanko’s sense of responsibility into question, fearing a potential shutdown of the judiciary due to the raised concerns.

Muhammad has served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria since 2005 and was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria in 2019.

He was formerly a Justice of the Nigerian Court of Appeal.

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