National High Court declares Easter break

The Federal High Court of Nigeria will embark on its 2026 Easter vacation from April 7 to April 13, 2026, as announced by the court, with this decision being made in accordance with the provisions of Order 46, Rule 4(c) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 (as amended), as stated in a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Director of Information of the court, Dr Catherine Christopher.

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The statement revealed that the Chief Judge of the court, John Terhemba Tsoho, had approved the vacation period, with normal sittings set to resume on April 14 across all judicial divisions.

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Despite the vacation, the core judicial divisions in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Enugu will remain open to address matters of extreme urgency, although only specific types of cases will be entertained during this period.

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These cases include those related to the enforcement of fundamental rights, arrest or release of vessels, and issues concerning dire national interest, as outlined in the circular.

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The court's statement confirmed that normal sittings will resume on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in all judicial divisions, with the Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Enugu core judicial divisions remaining open to the public for urgent matters during the vacation.

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According to the statement, the designated vacation judges for the respective divisions are Emeka Nwite and Musa S. Liman for the Abuja Judicial Division, Akintayo Aluko and Ogazi F. Nkemakonam for the Lagos Judicial Division, Phoebe M. Ayua and Adamu T. Mohammed for the Port Harcourt Judicial Division, and Mabel T. Segun-Bello for the Enugu Judicial Division.

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The circular also instructed the vacation judges and heads of divisions to refer any matter requiring urgent attention to the Chief Judge for necessary directives, ensuring that all urgent matters are properly addressed during the vacation period.

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Furthermore, the statement clarified that the announced dates supersede any earlier dates that may have been circulated or obtained from other sources, providing clarity on the court's schedule during the Easter vacation.