The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, says the judgments of late justice Emmanuel Ogwuegbu did not merely resolve disputes but elevated Nigeria’s jurisprudence.
Kekere-Ekun said this in Abuja on Wednesday at a valedictory court session in honour of the late Ogwuegbu, Justice of the Supreme Court, who died on Oct. 28, 2024, at the age of 91.
She said that Ogwuegbu’s judgments and life also speak to the conscience of a nation, strengthening the pillars of democracy, and enriching Nigerian law with experience, compassion and wisdom.
“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,’’ she said.
She said that Ogwuegbu was a torchbearer of justice whose career spanned more than four decades of unwavering dedication to the bench.
”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’’.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, charged Judicial officers to live up to expectation.
Fagbemi stressed the need for judges to administer justice without fear or favour and paid glowing tribute to the late Justice of the Supreme Court.
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 debt of impact and integrity of decisions.
Osigwe noted that Ogwuegbu was a judicial titan who rendered clearer laws that made institutions stronger and 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.
