By CrossRiverWatch Admin
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) designate, Justice Walter Onnoghen is scheduled to undergo a security screening ahead of the forwarding of his name to the Senate for screening and subsequent confirmation.
Justice Onnoghen’s name, CrossRiverWatch gathered, will be forwarded to the State Security Services (SSS) for a security background check.
After the security screening, Onnoghen’s name will be sent to the Senate the following week for confirmation.
Onnoghen is currently the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court after the current Chief Judge, Justice Mohammed Mahmoud who will retire after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 on November 10, 2016.
Justice Onnoghen who hails from Biase was nominated recently as the CJN designate by the Judicial Service Commission alongside two others, a continuation of the age old tradition of appointing Chief Justices in the country.
If confirmed, he will be the first CJN from the southern part of the country in 30 years.