Federal High Court judges to proceed on 2026 Christmas vacation, December 21

Judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria will begin their 2026 Christmas vacation on Monday, 21st December 2026, according to the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho.

The Chief Judge, who announced this in Abuja on Monday, said that the vacation is in line with the provisions of Order 46, Rule 4(c) of the Federal High Court (Civil) Procedure Rules, 2019.

Justice Tsoho explained that while the approved vacation holiday shall commence on Monday, 21st December 2026, it will end on Tuesday, 5th January 2027, but regular court sittings shall resume on Wednesday, 6th January 2027.

A statement by the Director of Information of the Court, Dr Catherine Oby Christopher, on behalf of the Chief Judge, however, explained that during the vacation period, designated judicial divisions shall be operational to provide judicial services to the litigating public.

The designated judicial divisions are Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu.

The vacation judges are to entertain only matters relating to the enforcement of fundamental rights, arrest or release of vessels, and other matters of urgent national importance such as trial of pre-election cases.

According to the statement, the Abuja division shall have Justices Inyang Edem Ekwo and Obiora Egwuatu as Christmas vacation judges, while Justices Akintayo Aluko and Ogazi Nkemakonam shall hold forth for Lagos.

The Port Harcourt division is to have Hon. Justices P. M. Ayua and A. T. Mohammed, while the Enugu division is to be manned by Hon. Justices Folasade Ogunbanjo and M. T. Segun-Bello.

The Chief Judge wished the judges and workers of the court a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year in advance.