It was grief and a free flow of tears as Joseph Otteh, the founder of Access To Justice (A2J), who passed away in Lagos on 28 March 2025, was buried on Friday, 20 June 2025, in his hometown, Okporo, in Orlu LGA, Imo State.
Otteh left behind a wife, Ogechi, three children, Chidimso, Samantha, Ikechi, and an elderly mum.
Joseph Otteh and Access To Justice (A2J ) were the first winners of the Gani Fawehinmi Award for Social Justice and Human Rights, 2010, which was instituted by the Nigerian Bar Association (NB) through its Human Rights Institute.
He was a Global Public Service Scholar at NYU and received a Master’s degree in law from both the University of Lagos and New York University.
He also served as a Visiting Researcher at the Danish Centre for Human Rights.
Otteh authored Fading Lights of Justice and Litigating in the Public Interest.
He contributed extensively to legal scholarship, consulting for institutions such as the British Government’s J4A Programme, the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), the Nigerian Bar Association, the European Union’s Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC), and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).
Watch the video below.
Joseph Otteh’s legacy in promoting access to justice is truly inspiring. His work with A2J has likely impacted many lives. What do you think is the most pressing justice issue in Nigeria today?