38 lawyers to get SAN rank Sept 23

The number of lawyers holding the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title will increase by 38 on Monday.

In a statement on Wednesday, Festus Akande, director, press and information of the supreme court, said the lawyers will be sworn in by Tanko Muhammad, chief justice of Nigeria.

A total of 117 legal practitioners had applied for the rank of SAN, but the legal practitioners’ privileges committee led by Muhammad announced the names of the 38 successful lawyers.

Akande said the event will mark the commencement of the new 2019/2020 legal year of the apex court.

“The swearing-in ceremony is one of the several programmes lined up to herald the 2019/2020 legal year of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” he said.

“As customary, during such programmes, the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria will deliver a state-of-the judiciary address which is ostensible to highlight the performance of the Supreme Court, and by extension, the Nigerian judiciary in the outgoing 2018/2019 legal year.”

According to the director, three of the successful lawyers are academics while the remaining 35 are advocates.

“Out of this number, three are academics while 35 are advocates,” he said.

“The Supreme Court commenced its annual vacation after a remarkably successful 2018/2019 legal year on Monday 29 July 2019.

“All the programmes billed to mark the commencement of the new legal year are to start at 10:am.”

Among the lawyers to be elevated to the rank of SAN is Adedayo Apata, the solicitor-general of the federation and permanent secretary of the federal ministry of justice.

Others include Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Olukayode Enitan, Oyetola Muyiwa, Olaniyi Olopade, Samuel Agweh, Olusegun Jolaawo, Alphonsus Alubo, Ayo Asala, Abiodun Olatunji, Olumide Aju, Chimezie Ihekweazu, Mamman Lawan, Uchefula Chukwumaeze, Usman Sule, Safiya Badamasi, Echezona Etiaba, Aikhunegbe Malik, Alhassan Umar and Paul Ogbole.

The rest are Abdullahi Haruna, Jephthah Njikonye, John Asoluka, Adedokun Makinde, Daniel Enwelum, Emmanuel Oyebanji, Tuduru Ede, Abdul Ajana, Ama Etuwewe, Oladipo Olasope, Leslie Olutayo Nylander, Olusegun Fowowe, Andrew Hutton, Godwin Omoaka, Emeka Ozoani, Alexander Ejesieme, Manga Nurudeen, and Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour.