Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State on Wednesday swore in Justice Theophilus Nzeukwu as the acting Chief Judge.
Nzeukwu was sworn in five months after Imo State had been without a Chief Judge.
The vacancy arose after the National Judicial Council recommended the immediate retirement of the former Chief Judge, Justice Chukwuemeka Chikeka, for age falsification.
Uzodimma swore in Justice Nzeukwu alongside two new commissioners, Prof. Bernard Thompson Ikegwuoha and Dr. Vivian Egu, at the Sam Mbakwe Executive Chambers at the Douglas House, Owerri.
Lawyers had called for the appointment of a Chief Judge to give direction, assign cases, and run the administration of the justice system in Imo State.
The new Chief Judge hails from Egwedu-Atta Autonomous Community in the Njaba local government area of Imo State.
Until his appointment as the Chief Judge, Nzeukwu had served as Chief Magistrate, Imo State Judiciary; Deputy Chief Registrar, High Court of Owerri; Chief Registrar, High Court of Justice, Owerri; and High Court Judge, Owerri, before his latest appointment as the acting Chief Judge for Imo State.
The jurist is expected to bring stability, integrity, and efficiency to Imo’s judiciary, given his extensive experience—from magistracy to high court adjudication—his tenure is anticipated to strengthen judicial processes and uphold the rule of law in the state.
The NJC had at its 107th meeting held on November 13 and 14, 2024, recommended the duo of the Chief Judge of Imo State, Justice T. E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka, and the Grand Kadi of Yobe State, Kadi Babagana, for compulsory retirement for falsification of age.
