John Inyang Okoro

Okoro started his legal career as Magistrate Grade II in 1986 and rose through the Magisterial Cadre culminating in his promotion to the post of Chief Magistrate Grade I in 1996. He was then appointed a Judge of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State from 1998 to 2006. Okoro was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2006 and served in that capacity till 2013. His appointment as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria was confirmed by the Senate in October 2013.^[3] He was sworn in on 15 November 2013 by Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, the former Chief Justice of Nigeria.^[4]

Okoro has over the years served in different capacities and bodies, namely; Member, Election Petition Tribunal, Kano, 1998, Member, Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Petition Tribunal, Ondo State, 2003, Member, Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Petition Tribunal No.2 Delta State, 2003. He has also attended several seminars, workshops and conferences both locally and internationally. On 8 October 2016, he was arrested by the Department of State Security Services (DSS), on wrongful allegations of bribery and corruption. After investigations he was exonerated and recalled as a Judge of the Supreme Court.^[5] He was later cleared by the DSS in December 2019 and never faced trial for the crimes he was charged with.^[6]