President Buhari swears in Onnoghen, new Chief Justice of Nigeria

Photo credit: Punch

President Muhammadu Buhari swore in Walter Onnoghen, a supreme court judge, as the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), at a brief ceremony in the presidential villa on Thursday.

The National Judicial Commission (NJC) had recommended Onnoghen, who is the most senior member of the apex bench, for the position.

Onnoghen was born on December 22, 1950 at Okurike town, Biase local government area of Cross Rivers state.

After obtaining a law degree from the University of Legon, Ghana, he started his career as pupil state counsel at the ministry of justice, Lagos in 1978.

He practiced law for several years before he joined the bench.

He became a high court judge in Cross Rivers in 1989, and later chairman, Cross Rivers state Armed Robbery and Fire Arms Tribunal from 1990 to 1993.

He was a judge in the high court of Rivers state from 1992 to 2004, and justice of the court of appeal from 1998 to 2005 – when he was elevated to the supreme court.

He takes over from Mahmud Mohammed who retired as CJN after clocking 70 years.