The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), federal and state judicial officers have in the last one year guzzled a total sum of N33.47 billion as emoluments and other allowances.

Figures obtained and computed by Economic Intelligence magazine showed the annual salaries, regular and non-regular allowances of 934 judicial officers in the country, including the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), amounted to a princely N33.47 in the past 12 months.

These include vehicle maintenance and fuel, personal assistants, domestic staff, entertainment and utilities allowances. Others are hardship allowance, outfit and newspapers allowances.

A careful observation of the report showed that the CJN has an annual salary of N3.36 million and like the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to be provided with vehicle maintenance and fueling, domestic staff, entertainment, utilities and newspapers.

Furthermore, the CJN has 25 percent of his annual basic salary reserved for personal assistant and outfit each or its equivalent of N840,993.13 respectively an half of his annual salary as hardship allowance which amounts to N1,681,986.25.

However, accommodation and furniture will be provided for the CJN, while annual leave, severance gratuity and vehicle loan which is optional will be 10%, 300% and 400% respectively. His duty tour allowance within Nigeria is settled at N50,000 per night, while that of overseas or estacode amounts to $2,000.00 per night.

Justices of the Supreme Court and the President of the Court of Appeal have the same annual salary of N2.47 million each, while Justice of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Chief Judge of the FCT, Judge of the Federal High Court, President of the National Industrial Court, Grand Khadi of the FCT Sharia Court of Appeal, President FCT Customary Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of States, Grand Khadi State Sharia Court of Appeal and President state Customary Court of Appeal all have N1.99 million each a annual salary.

Furthermore, Judges of the Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, FCT High Court, State High Courts, FCT Sharia Court of Appeal, FCT Customary Court of Appeal, Khadi State Sharia Court of Appeal and State Customary Court of Appeal all have N1.80 million each as annual salary.

All the Judges in the country, apart from the CJN, have 75% of their annual salaries as Vehicle maintenance and fueling, 25% for Personal Assistant, 50% as hardship allowance, 75% for domestic staff, 45% for entertainment. Others are: 30% of their annual salaries as for utilities, 25% for outfit and 15% for newspapers.

As for non-regular allowances, except the CJN, all judges have 200% for accommodation once a year, 300% of annual salary for furniture, 10% for annual leave, 300% as severance gratuity and 400% for vehicle loan which is however optional.

All the Justices of the Supreme Court and President of the Court of Appeal are entitled to N35,000.00 as duty tour allowance per night within the country, while their estacode is $1300 per night when they travel out of the country.

Also, Justices of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Chief Judge of the FCT, Judge of the Federal High Court, President of the National Industrial Court, Grand Khadi of the FCT Sharia Court of Appeal, President FCT Customary Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of States, Grand Khadi state Sharia Court of Appeal and President state Customary Court of Appeal all have N30,000 as duty tour allowances each within the country and $1,100 as estacode.

Other judges outside the above are entitled to N25,000.00 as duty tour allowances per night within the country and $800 for estacode when they travel out of the country per night.

•Photo shows CJN Mahmud Mohammed.

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