The Federal High Court of Nigeria has officially announced its Christmas vacation schedule for 2025, with judges set to begin their annual break later this year.
Vacation Period and Resumption Dates
Judicial activities at the Federal High Court will pause from Friday, December 19, 2025, marking the start of the Christmas vacation period. According to the court's official timetable, normal court sittings will resume across all judicial divisions on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
The vacation schedule was formally announced through a statement issued by the court's Director of Information, Catherine Oby Christopher, on Monday. The arrangement received official approval through a circular signed by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho.
Operational Divisions During Break
During the vacation period, three core judicial divisions will maintain operations to serve the public. The Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt divisions will remain accessible, though with limited scope of cases being entertained.
Vacation judges stationed at these key locations will handle only specific categories of matters deemed urgent. These include cases related to fundamental rights enforcement, vessel arrest or release proceedings, and issues of significant national importance that cannot wait until regular court sessions resume.
Designated Vacation Judges Roster
The court has appointed specific judges to handle urgent matters during the break period. In the Abuja Division, Justices Emeka Nwite and Mohammed S. Liman will serve as vacation judges. The Lagos Division will be covered by Justices Akintayo Aluko and Isaac D. Dipeolu.
For the Port Harcourt Division, Justices P. M. Ayua and A. T. Mohammed have been assigned vacation duties. The Enugu Division will have Justice Folasade Ogunbanjo available to handle urgent matters during the break.
The legal framework for the vacation arrangement derives from Order 46, Rule 4(c) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, which has been amended as necessary.
Clarification on Baba Ijesha Case
In related judicial news, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), has addressed misinformation circulating about actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha.
Pedro strongly dismissed claims that the Court of Appeal had "cleared" the actor of sexual offense charges involving a minor. He emphasized that Baba Ijesha's release followed the completion of his jail term as confirmed by the appellate court, not because he was absolved of guilt.
The clarification came in response to social media posts by actor Yomi Fabiyi that were later republished by various online platforms. Pedro described these claims as a deliberate misrepresentation of the judicial record and stressed that no part of the Court of Appeal's judgment granted such clearance to the convicted actor.
As the judicial year winds down, Chief Judge Justice Tsoho extended warm seasonal greetings to all judges of the Federal High Court, wishing them a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
