Mahmud Mohammed Will Swear In Buhari Tomorrow

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Chief Justice Mahmud Mohammed, will deliver the oath of office for president-elect Muhammadu Buhari when the latter is sworn in tomorrow as Nigeria’s president.For those not in the know, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed was born on November 10, 1946 in Jalingo, Jalingo Local Government, Taraba State, to Malam Mamman Maikato Bakin Kasuwa Jalinggo (a sawyer/timber dealer) and Aishatu Mamman of Garrkin Dogo Village, Lau Local Government, Justice Mohammed attended Malam Kasimu Koranic School, Jalingo (1950 -53), Junior Primary School, Jalingo (1953-56), Senior Primary School, Jalingo (1957-59).

He later proceeded to Secondary Technical School/Government College, Kaduna (1960-1964), where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate (WASC), Government College/Rumfa College, Kano ((1965-66) for his Higher School Certificate (HSC). Justice Mohammed studied Law at the Ahmadu Bello University (1967-70); Nigerian Law School (1970-71); Commonwealth Institute of Legislative Drafting (1976); National Institute of Public Management, Washington, United States (US) (1980); Institute of Judicial Administration, University of New York, US (1982) and Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, United Kingdom (UK) (1983).


He began his career in public service with the Ministries of Justice of the defunct Northeastern State, and Gongola State, and the judiciary of the Defunct Gongola State. In 1991, he was appointed the Acting Chief Judge of Taraba State, and was later confirmed as the Substantive Chief Judge of the state the same year. Prior to being appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court in 2005, he was Justice of the Court of Appeal, and then Presiding Justice.

In addition to his legal qualifications, he holds a certificate in Legislative Drafting (from the Commonwealth Institute of Legislative Drafting); a certificate in Human Rresources Planning and Management (from the National Institute of Public Management, Washington, US); a certificate of administration of justice in a presidential system of government (from the Institute of Judicial Administration, University of New York US); and a certificate in government legal advisers course (from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, the United Kingdom (UK). He is a life bencher, whose hobbies include swimming, reading, farming, animal husbandry and photography. Stepping in as the 15th CJN, Justice Mohammed has made history as the first indigenously-trained lawyer to rise to peak of the judiciary. His predecessors were trained outside the country.