The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has disclosed that the Supreme Court currently has the smallest number of Justices in Nigeria’s history. This announcement came during the retirement ceremony of Justice Musa Dattijo Mohammed, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Justice Ariwoola stated that the apex court now has only 10 Justices to manage the substantial workload of pending cases. However, he reassured the public that efforts are underway to appoint a significant number of Justices to enhance the Court’s capacity.

He expressed, “With Justice Musa Dattijo leaving us today after the retirement of Hon. Justice Adamu Amina Augie a few weeks ago, we are now left with just 10 Justices on the Supreme Court Bench; being the lowest we have ever had in the contemporary history of the Court. However, I can confidently assure all the litigant public that efforts are in top gear to get on board a sizeable number of Justices to boost our rank and complement the tremendous effort we have been investing in the business of the Court.”

Justice Ariwoola paid tribute to the retiring Justice, praising his contributions to the legal profession and his impeccable adjudications at various court levels in Nigeria. He commended Justice Dattijo for his dedication, hard work, discipline, and moral integrity. The CJN also acknowledged his unwavering support in court administration and described him as a fearless and candid judicial figure.