Nigeria’s Chief Justice Kudirat Motomori Kekere-Ekun, has intimated that the country’s judiciary is on the pathway towards an admirable judiciary.
Her Lordship also disclosed that the challenges, ranging from delays in justice delivery, dwindling public confidence and resource constraints confronting the judiciary under her watch are surmountable.
The CJN spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at a Special Court session in honour of the late Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Emmanuel Obioma Ogwuegbu, who died on October 28, 2024, at the age of 91.
Addressing the court teeming with serving and retired justices, lawyers, friends and family members of the deceased, Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun said: “We are currently working very hard to make a change.”
Adding that the late Justice Ogwuegbu’s life offers a blueprint for renewal, integrity, service, learning and courage, she remarked that Ogwuegbu’s life enriched Nigerian law with experience, compassion and wisdom and further stated that, his contributions will continue to illuminate the courts and his legacy remains embedded in the moral and legal consciousness of the nation.
“Throughout his illustrious judicial career, he brought to bear a rare combination of erudition, clarity and compassion. He was a jurist who wrote with precision, reasoned with rigour and adjudicated with fairness.
“As a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, His Lordship contributed significantly to the shaping of our modern legal landscape.
“His Lordship’s deep insight and fearless reasoning were particularly evident in cases that advanced constitutional governance, individual liberties and the devolution of powers “, the CJN stated.
According to Kekere-Ekun, Justice Ogwuegbu was not just a judge; he was a torchbearer of justice whose career spanned more than four decades of unwavering dedication to the bench.
“His Lordship’s life’s work was defined by a fierce loyalty to the Constitution, an abiding respect for the rule of law, and an unshakeable belief in the power of justice to uphold society’s most sacred values.
“Throughout his illustrious judicial career, he brought to bear a rare combination of erudition, clarity, and compassion. He was a jurist who wrote with precision, reasoned with rigour, and adjudicated with fairness.
“His judgments did not merely resolve disputes—they elevated our jurisprudence, speaking to the conscience of a nation and strengthening the pillars upon which our democracy rests”, the CJN said.
“He was a Judge of great dignity, humility, and empathy—qualities that humanised the law and brought, comfort to those who sought justice.
“He listened intently, decided fairly, and treated all who came before him with respect and decency.
In his tribute, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, charged Judicial officers to live up to expectations.
The AGF stressed the need for Judges to administer justice without fear or favour and paid glowing tribute to the late Justice of the Supreme Court.
In a message, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said, a true measure of a judge is not in the length of tenure or the number of cases adjudicated, but in the depth of impact and integrity of decisions.
By this measure, the NBA President said Justice Ogwuegbu was a judicial titan, “He rendered our laws clearer, our institutions stronger, and our democracy more stable.
“In an age where judicial courage is often tempered by politics or public pressure, His Lordship exemplified a rare independence of thought, tempered only by the boundaries of justice and the letter of the law”, the NBA boss stated.
