J

Section 270(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) states that there shall be a High Court for each State of the Federation. The Constitution only created one High Court for each State of the Federation. While the High Courts of different States are divided into judicial divisions, that is only for easy dispatch of business and administrative convenience. The jurisdiction of the High Court of a State, including Jigawa State remains one and unbroken. The jurisdiction of a court is not fragmented by the creation of judicial divisions.

A wrong judgment may be set aside as being perverse or for a number of other reasons but such a judgment may not necessarily be a null judgment. A mistrial or a misdirection that caused miscarriage of justice may lead to the judgment being set aside. Where it is established on appeal that the trial court in coming to its decision, either has applied wrong principles of law or has taken into account irrelevant matters which it ought not to have taken into account or has failed to take relevant matters into account, the appellate court will not hesitate to set aside the judgment. [Nnadozie v. Mbagwu (2008) 3 NWLR (Pt. 1074) 363; Kim v. State (1992)4 NWLR (Pt. 233) 17; Onu v. Idu (2006) 12 NWLR (Pt. 995) 657 referred to.] (Pp. 474-475, paras. F-B).