More encomiums have been showered on the late Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) who died on Friday, June 6, 2025 at the age of 89.

 

Senior members of the legal profession including Prof Yusuf Olaolu Ali SAN, the Kuliya Ngeri of the Ilorin Emirate,  Mr Tayo Oyetibo SAN, the propietor, Law FM Radio, and Dr Richard Oma Ahonaruogho SAN, Past President, University of Benin Alumni Association, and Chairman , NBA Bar and Bench Forum all showered glowing tributes on the late jurist.

Uwais, one of the pioneers of Federal Revenue Court(now Federal High Court)- Ali.

Hon Justice Muhammed Uwais GCON; was a legal Colossus, intellectual power house and an excellent jurist, that bestrode the Nigerian Judiciary for decades. He served with devotion, with distinction and with honesty.

He was one of the pioneers of the Federal Revenue Court that metamorphosed to the Federal High Court in 1974. He had a short stint in the intermediate appellate Court before his worthy elevation to the Supreme Court in 1979 at the relative young age of 42.

His Lordship blossomed the apex court. The law reports bear testimony to his Lordship’s learning, deep knowledge of the law and other disciplines, dedication, humanness, emphathy, patriotism, and academic excellence. These qualities showed through in the numerous lead judgments and contributions in all the cases his Lordship took part in. His Lordship when presiding on any matter, was a delight for young or old lawyers that mastered their cases. He was the antithesis for Counsel that were sloppy and unprepared. He had the reputation for mastering voluminous records of proceedings. No wonder at many hearing, his Lordship would direct Counsel to pages of the record of proceedings even if over 1000 pages.

His Lordship was the classical Aristotelian judge that listened carefully, decided soberly and judged with wisdom.

The profundity of his Lordship knowledge and judicial uprightness prompted late President Shue Yardua to appoint him as the Chairman of the Electoral Reform Committee after his Lordship’s retirement as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. A position he held with distinction for over a decade. The report and recommendations of that Committee is not only a reference point till date but a watershed in the reformation of our electoral system.

I can confirm that his Lordship was a first class family man, a disciplined father and loving grandfather.

He was a statesman with no air of arrogance. Totally detribalized and lover of progress.

He lived a worthy life, that if copied by our leaders, will be a paradigm shift for good governance in our Nation.

We take solace in the saying of the Glorious Quran that:

“We all came from Allah and surely it is to Him shall be our return.”

Prof. Yusuf Ali SAN; FCIArb.

Kuliya Ngeri of Ilorin

Uwais tenure as CJN witnessed admirable consistency in the judicial precedents – Oyetibo

The death of Justice Muhammad Lawal Uwais is a big loss not only to the legal profession but to the nation at large. He was a gentleman par excellence whose tenure on the Supreme Court Bench witnessed an admirable consistency in the judicial precedents established by the judgments of the court.

As a person, he discharged the functions of his office with honour and incorruptible mien. He was able to navigate the challenges of his office with steadfastness and strength of character.

He made a significant contributions to the political development of the nation when he chaired the Committee on electoral reforms. Although the recommendations of the committee were not implemented by the Government, they, nonetheless , remain a reference point for electoral reforms for the improvement of our national politics and electoral jurisprudence.

His juridical legacy will, undoubtedly, remain indelible in the annals of Nigeria’s legal history.

TAYO OYETIBO, SAN

Uwais played a prominent role in bringing back NBA from comatose in 1998 – Ahonaruogho 

The demise of His Lordship, the Honourable Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, GCON, on the day of Eid Al Adha, June 6, 2025, is a testament to His Lordship’s many good deeds.

I recall my first encounter with the Honourable Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, with nostalgia. It was my first case at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in Appeal No. SC. 99/1989 – J. B. Atunrase & 4 others V. Samuel Charles Oladipo Phillips & 8 others, which I “inherited” from Chief Samuel Olasupo Morohundiya (of blessed memory) and in which I was counsel to the 3rd to 6th Respondents. The case, which was decided while I was still under ten years at the Bar, is reported as ATUNRASE VS. PHILLIP (1996) 1 NWLR (PART 427) PAGE 637 (SC). My Lords, Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, C.J.N. (Presided), Michael Ekundayo Ogundare, J.S.C. (Read the Leading Judgment), Uthman Mohammed, J.S.C., Yekini Olayinka Adio, J.S.C., Anthony Ikechukwu Iguh, J.S.C., heard the appeal and delivered judgment in favour of the Respondents on Tuesday, 16th January, 1996.

I was too soon to be later formally welcomed to the Supreme Court of Nigeria by my Lord, the Honourable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, at the hallowed Chambers of the Supreme Court anytime I appeared, following my role as the Coordinating Secretary of the Committee of Chairmen and Secretaries of the Nigerian Bar Association Branches between 1996 to 1998 under the Chairmanship of Asiwaju Chief Solomon Adegboyega Awomolo SAN.

His Lordship, the Honourable Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, the Honourable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and his bother Justices of the apex court gave every support to the work of the Committee of Chairmen and Secretaries of the Nigerian Bar Association which culminated with the successful hosting on Friday, 28 August, 1998, of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference held at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel at which the Nigerian Bar Association was brought back after the 1992 Port Harcourt crises of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Apart from his Lordship’s brilliance and services to the nation at the Supreme Court and as the Honourable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Honourable Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais rose to the call of President, His Excellency, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, GCFR who on 28th August 2007 inaugurated a 22-member Electoral Reform Committee, of which the Honourable Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais was Chairman, to “examine the entire electoral process with a view of ensuring that we raise the quality and standard of our general elections and thereby deepen our democracy”. The report of the Committee, popularly referred to as the “Justice Uwais Panel report”, submitted in December 2008, though not publicly implemented, has been acclaimed as being far-reaching. I however, know as the President of the University of Benin Alumni Association in 2007 that the Council of the University of Benin Alumni Association passed a resolution which was sent to the Justice Uwais Panel as it relates to the avoidance of Oath of Office being administered to a person who wins a re-run election to the Office of President or Governor. It is not too late to implement the Justice Uwais Panel report.

His Lordship had in 1997 encouraged me to apply for the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), but I did not. I am happy that His Lordship, the Honourable Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais was alive in 2020 when I eventually made the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, to justify His Lordship’s faith in me.

May Allah grant the good, kind and gentle soul of the Honourable Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais aljanah fir’daus, Amen.

Adieu to a fine jurist and gentleman.

Prince (Dr.) Richard Oma Ahonaruogho SAN

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