A prominent judge, Justice Okon Abang, has been brought back to the Federal High Court in Abuja in a new redeployment by the court’s management.
Justice Abang had been posted to Asaba division two years ago.
According to a circular dated January 21 by the Chief Judge, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, the new redeployment is to take effect from February 11.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba has now been posted to Asaba to replace Abang.
Dimgba, who is reputed for speedy hearing and determination of both civil and criminal cases in Abuja, was appointed a judge in 2015 and has since remained in Abuja Division, his first posting.
The rest of the judges with new postings are Justice Babs Kuewumi, who is redeployed from Lagos to Ado-Ekiti; Justice Babatunde Quadri, from Abuja to Maiduguri; Justice Taiwo Taiwo, from Ado-Ekiti to Abuja; and Justice J. K Dagat from Maiduguri to Lagos.
Justice Kuewumi will resume in Ekiti on February 4, while all other judges affected by the transfer will resume in their division on February 11, the circular read.
Although, Abang was redeployed to Asaba in January 2017, he was given the authority by the Chief Judge of the court, Justice Abdu-Kafarati, to continue to hear some part-heard criminal cases in the Abuja division.
Some of the cases he continued to hear in Abuja included those of a former spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh; a former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako; and the late former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh.
With the new redeployment, it is believed that the cases being handled by the judge would be given an expedited hearing.
During his stay in Abuja, Dimgba churned out judgments with far-reaching implications, including the one which ordered the reinstatement of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
