The Federal High Court of Nigeria has announced that its 2026 Christmas vacation will begin on Monday, December 21, 2026, and end on Tuesday, January 5, 2027.
Regular court sittings across all judicial divisions will resume on Wednesday, January 6, 2027.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Monday, November 9, 2026, by the Director of Information of the Federal High Court, Dr. Catherine Oby Christopher, on behalf of the Chief Judge, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho.
According to the statement, the vacation is in accordance with Order 46, Rule 4(c) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.
During the break, designated judicial divisions in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu will remain operational to attend to urgent matters. These include the enforcement of fundamental rights, the arrest or release of vessels, and other issues of urgent national importance, such as the trial of pre-election cases.
The roster of vacation judges is as follows:
Abuja Judicial Division
- Hon. Justice I. E. Ekwo
- Hon. Justice O. A. Egwuatu
Lagos Judicial Division
- Hon. Justice Akintayo Aluko
- Hon. Justice Ogazi F. Nkemakonam
Port Harcourt Judicial Division
- Hon. Justice P. M. Ayua
- Hon. Justice A. T. Mohammed
Enugu Judicial Division
- Hon. Justice F. O. G. Ogunbanjo
- Hon. Justice M. T. Segun-Bello
Justice Tsoho extended warm wishes for a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all Honourable Judges and members of the Court.
The annual Christmas vacation is a standard practice in the Nigerian judiciary, allowing judges and court staff a period of rest while ensuring that critical and time-sensitive cases continue to be heard.
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