No FCT Judge will live in rented quarters before end of Tinubu’s first term – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has assured that no judge of the FCT High Court will be living in rented accommodation before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s first term in office.

Wike made this promise on Monday while flagging off the construction of 40 duplexes for judges in Abuja. The project comprises 10 duplexes each for the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court, and 20 for the FCT High Court.

“Sometimes you don’t know the landlords of these houses. Sometimes you don’t know their neighbors. These judges preside over criminal matters or other serious matters indeed. And of course, you never can tell what will happen,” Wike said.

“What we are doing today is not just for heads of courts while they are in service. As they retire, the property becomes their own. This is the approval of Mr. President, and that is why we issued the Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-Os) in their names.”

The minister further stated, “Before the first tenure of Mr. President ends, no judge of the FCT High Court will be living in a rented quarter. That will come to an end, and we are making sure that this is done.”

Wike also announced plans to digitalize the FCT High Court under the 2025 budget, as part of the administration’s broader judicial reforms.

“The FCT High Court will be digitalized under the 2025 budget, adding that the move is part of the administration’s broader judicial reforms,” he said.

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, commended President Tinubu and Wike for their commitment to judicial welfare and reforms.

“The project demonstrates the Tinubu administration’s determination to promoting judicial independence, enhance the living conditions of judicial officers, and consolidate the rule of law,” Fagbemi said.

“The Honourable Minister has a track record of fulfilling promises. When he says this project will be delivered within 12 months, I believe him because he has never failed,” he added.

Fagbemi praised Wike’s initiative as a legacy-setting achievement, urging state governments to emulate the Federal Government’s example.

“When courts are well equipped, justice is faster, trust is deeper, and democracy becomes stronger,” he said.

The FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as a collective commitment to strengthening the pillars of justice and governance in the nation’s capital.

“This project is about honour, dignity, and institutional pride, providing befitting residences for our esteemed heads of courts whose wisdom and integrity uphold the rule of law in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she said.