Row in Nigeria as outgoing chief justice swears-in successor.

Text of report by private Nigerian newspaper The Guardian website on 31 December; subheadings inserted editorially

[Report by Lemmy Ughegbe and Abiodun Fagbemi: "Kutigi Makes History, Swears In Katsina-Alu"]

Historic. Really historic. That is the way to describe the swearing in of Justice Iyorgher Aloysius Katsina-Alu as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by the outgoing Chief Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi.

Reason: For the first time in the country's history, two chief justices occupied that office, albeit for 12 hours. Kutigi retires today upon the attainment of the statutory 70 years of age, while the in-coming is billed to retire on 20 August 2011.

Speaking during the inauguration, which witnessed the absence of seven out of the 15 justices of the apex court, Justice Kutigi declared that although he had sworn in Katsina-Alu as the new chief justice, he was still in charge until the next day when he clocks 70 years.

"By 12 midnight today, I will be clocking the statutory retirement age of 70 and that means I will be retiring then. But for the interest of …