The Federal High Court of Nigeria has responded to recent reports, clarifying that no judge disregarded the transfer orders issued by Chief Judge Justice John Tsoho.
According to a SaharaReporters article on Monday, Justice Simon Amobeda, a judge of the Federal High Court, reportedly did not comply with a transfer order to Kogi State, three months after Chief Judge Tsoho directed his relocation from Kano to Kogi in July 2024. Despite this directive, Justice Amobeda has remained in Kano.
The Chief Judge’s directive, dated July 12, 2024, was a nationwide reassignment, which required judges to report to their new posts in various judicial centers, including Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano, Kwara, and Kogi. Justice Tsoho had also mandated that judges complete all pending cases with closed defense hearings before relocating.
However, sources within the judiciary informed SaharaReporters that Justice Amobeda’s non-compliance sparked internal discussions, particularly after one of his judgments received criticism for its stringent conditions.
In response, Dr. Catherine Oby Christopher, Director of Information/ICT at the Federal High Court, released a statement emphasizing that all judicial transfers followed established protocols and aimed to uphold the judiciary’s integrity. She asserted that “Justice Simon Amobeda remains one of the Judges serving in the Kano Division” and clarified that “He did not defy the posting made by the Chief Judge.”
The statement continued by explaining that an official circular from Justice Tsoho, dated July 12, 2024, initially assigned Justice Amobeda to Lokoja, Kogi State. Yet, a subsequent circular, dated August 9, 2024, directed Justice Amobeda and six other judges to remain at their current divisions due to “administrative exigencies.”
Among the judges whose postings were reversed were Justice M.G. Umar (from Enugu to Kano), Justice R.N. Aikawa (from Kaduna to Katsina), Justice S.M. Shuaibu, Evelyn N. Anyadike (from Awka to Warri), and Hon. Justice Isa Adama Dashen (from Yenagoa to Osogbo).
Dr. Christopher clarified that Chief Judge Tsoho, as the head of the Federal High Court, has the authority to reverse administrative decisions, particularly when continuity is crucial in case management to ensure the efficient administration of justice.
“This clarification has become necessary,” she said, “to address the alleged reports about Justice Amobeda’s status and to promote transparency and accountability in judicial postings.”
Nevertheless, on Wednesday, SaharaReporters learned from judiciary sources that the circular reversing Justice Amobeda’s initial transfer order had not been publicly disclosed. “The reversal of Justice Amobeda’s transfer to Kogi was never published like the initial one transferring him and others,” a source said.
Another source alleged that Justice Amobeda’s continued presence in Kano was due to his involvement in “dirty jobs” for the All Progressives Congress (APC). This source further recalled that Justice Amobeda played a role in prosecuting Agba Jalingo for treason on behalf of then-Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade, whom Jalingo had accused of embezzling N500 million.
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