Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed was born on December 31, 1953 at Doguwa – Giade, a local government area in Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria.
His secondary education was at the Government Secondary School, Azare where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate in 1973 after which he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University for his first degree, a bachelor’s degree in Law in 1980.
He furthered his studies to later obtain a Master and Doctorate (Ph. D) degree from the same university in 1984 and 1998 respectively.
Tanko was called to bar in 1981 after he graduated from the Nigerian law school and then began his career in 1982.
He was appointed as Chief Magistrate of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory in 1989, which he occupied till 1991 when he became a Judge at the Bauchi State Sharia Court of Appeal.
He served as Judge of the Bauchi State Sharia Court of Appeal for two years after which he was appointed to the bench of the Nigerian Courts of Appeal as Justice in 1993.
He served at this position for thirteen years before he was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2006 but was sworn in on January 7, 2007.
Today, the president has sworn him in as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.