When the then 67-year-old Hon. Justice Ayobode Olujimi Lokulo-Sodipe slumped and died in his office while dressing up to attend a court session in February this year, little did the Court of appeal family know that more sorrow awaited them. The Ogun State born judge was serving at the Court of Appeal Akure Division, in the Ondo State capital. That was at the beginning of 2023.
The came Tuesday 6 June 2023 when the Presiding Justice of the court’s Calabar Division, Hon. Justice Raphael Chikwe Agbo passed on. Agbo who hailed from Enugu State was billed to retire in October shortly after the resumption of the Courts from vacation at age 70 died. He was at that time the next most senior justice of the Appeal Court.
His Lordship who had been reportedly battling a health challenge was said to have woken up that Tuesday morning breathing hard. He eventually died at the hospital where he was taken to.
On Wednesday 6 December, the appellate court was again thrown into mourning when news filtered in that Justice Joseph Shagbaor Ikyegh had died. He was the Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Port-Harcourt Division.
Justice Ikyegh who hailed from Benue State reportedly slumped Wednesday afternoon at his Makurdi residence located at the Achussa Community area of the state capital after receiving a phone call.
A source close to his family said “he was then rushed to the Benue State University Teaching Hopsital, BSUTH, Makurdi where he was confirmed dead by medical doctors.”
The late 65-year-old jurist recently made the list of the 22 Justices of the Court of Appeal shortlisted by Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, and forwarded to the National Judicial Council, NJC, to be promoted to the apex court from the North Central.
And although His Lordship was the next most senior judge from the North Central region after Hon. Justice Jummai Hannatu C. Sankey (Plateau State), he was on the reserve list and right at the bottom too.
Sources close to the departed justice’s family said his death might not be unconnected with the news about his being bypassed in the final selected for the topmost bench given that until recently, seniority had been the basis for nomination to the Supreme Court.
