Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad was born on December 31, 1953 in Doguwa-Giade Local Government Area in Bauchi State.
He attended Government Secondary School, Azare where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate in 1973.
He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Islamic law from the Ahmadu Bello University in 1980. He was called to Bar in 1981.
He obtained a masters and doctorate degrees from the same university in 1984 and 1998.
Muhammad was appointed Magistrate Grade II in 1982 in the Bauchi State Judiciary.
He rose to Senior Magistrate Grade II and served until 1986.
His Lordship was appointed Provost, College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Bauchi, serving from 1986 to 1989.
He was appointed Chief Magistrate/Deputy Chief Registrar, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (1989 to 1991).
In 1991, Muhammad became a Judge (Kadi) of the Bauchi State Sharia Court of Appeal, from where he was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1993.
Fourteen years later, he was sworn in on January 7, 2007 as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
On January 25, President Muhammadu Buhari swore in Muhammad as Acting CJN after the suspension of former Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen, who was on trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
On July 11, President Buhari nominated Muhammad as substantive CJN following his recommendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The President forwarded to the Senate a letter requesting Muhammad’s confirmation, following which he was screened on July 17.
The CJN told the Senate that termite destroyed his primary school certificate. “No portion of the certificate was salvaged,” he said in an affidavit.
Muhammad faced allegations of age falsification. It was alleged that he altered his date of birth by three years from December 31, 1950, to December 31, 1953.
The case was dismissed, with the court imposing N10 million fine on the claimant for instituting a frivolous case.
Muhammad’s confirmation was overshadowed by what many considered to be a rambling response to a question about legal technicalities.
Asked what would be the Supreme Court’s stand with regards to technical justice under him, he said: “Permit me distinguished senators to ask: What a technicality is? It is something which is technical. By definition, it is something that is not usual and may sometimes defy all the norms known to a normal thing. Now, we have technicalities in our laws and this is because these laws we have inherited were from the British.
“The British people centuries ago introduced what is known as technicalities in their laws. Now, if something is technical, it is giving a leeway for double interpretation. It may be interpreted in one way by Mr A and another way by Mr B.
“Now, if something which is technical comes before the court, what we do in trial courts is to ask people who are experts in that field to come and testify. We rely on their testimony because they are experts in that field.
“Ask me anything about an aeroplane, I don’t know; ask me to drive an aeroplane (sic), I am sure if you are a passenger and they told you that the flight is going to be driven (sic) by Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko, I am sure you will get out of the plane because it is something that requires technicality and if I have any technicality, my technicality will only be limited to law.
“Therefore, it is something that has to do with the perception or the way you will be able to achieve the goals you want to achieve.” (The Nation)
