At last, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Monday swore in 11 justices of the Supreme Court bringing the number of Supreme Court justices to 21 justices.

The CJN in a speech at the swearing ceremony of the 11 appointed justices at the supreme, Abuja tasked the justices to be morally upright and discharge their duties according to the constitution and other extant laws.

Ariwoola while urging the new justices to uphold unwavering integrity and moral uprightness in their adjudication, said the event marks a significant milestone for the Nigerian Judiciary and promises a strengthened apex court for the country’s legal system.

The CJN also admonished the new justices to see themselves as the representatives of the Almighty God on earth, because any judgment given at the level, can only be upturned in heaven.

He therefore tasked the new justices not to allow their ambition or any extraneous considerations to becloud their sense of judgment.

The CJN said, “Let your conscience guide and filter every thought that traverses your mind from this moment. I have no doubt that you may have, at one time or the other, been confronted with some forms of criticisms or verbal assaults by litigants who have lost their cases. ”

According to him, the event is a memory he would continue to cherish in his lifetime because it is unprecedented in the annals of the Nigerian Supreme Court.

Recalling, the CJN said, “The inability of the court to meet up the statutory full complement of 21 Justices had lingered on for too long, thus appearing to be like a jinx.

“I thereafter made a categorical pledge that before i finish my tenure as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, I would, by the special grace of God, do everything within my ability to break that jinx and get on board the well-deserved full complement of the Court.

“Today, as it were, it is apparent that all that is now history; and a very palatable one at that for the Nigerian Judiciary and the country at large.”

on December 21, the Senate confirmed the appointment of 11 Supreme Court justices appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to fill the vacancies on the apex court bench.

The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters during Thursday’s plenary.

Tinubu asked the Senate to confirm the nominees, who were recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) to fill the vacant positions following the death and resignations of some justices.

The new justices are, Justice Haruna Tsammani (Northeast), who chaired the Presidential Election Petition Court, Justice Moore Adumein (South-South), Justice Jummai Sankey (North-central), Justice Chidiebere Uwa (South-east); and Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (South-east).

Others are Justice Obande Ogbuinya (South-East), Justice Stephen Adah (North-Central), Justice Habeeb Abiru (South-West), Justice Jamilu Tukur (Northwest), Justice Abubakar Umar (Northwest) and Justice Mohammed Idris (North-Central).