Tinubu seeks Senate confirmation of Oyewole as Supreme Court justice

President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate seeking the confirmation of Olubunmi Oyewole as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

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President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, read Mr Tinubu’s letter at plenary on Tuesday.

The letter reads: “Pursuant to Section 231 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended…

“I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of Hon. Justice Oyewole Kayode as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“While it is my hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the nomination expeditiously, please accept the assurances of my highest regards.”

Mr Akpabio thereafter referred the letter to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to report back as soon as possible.

Mr Tinubu’s letter to the Senate followed Mr Oyewole’s recommendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

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The NJC recommended Mr Oyewole to the president for appointment at the Council’s 110th meeting held on 13 and 14 January.

Mr Oyewole, who currently heads the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, was recommended alongside 35 other candidates for other various judicial offices across the country.

If successfully screened by the Senate, Mr Oyewole will fill in the South-west geo-political zone’s slot which became vacant following the retirement of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Olukayode Ariwoola last year.

His appointment will restore the Supreme Court bench, currently with 20 justices including CJN Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to its full complement of 21 justices.

Mr Oyewole, who hails from Ila Orangun, Osun State, began his judicial career as a High Court judge in Lagos.

Incidentally, he was appointed to the Lagos State High Court bench by Mr Tinubu as then-governor of Lagos State on 24 May 2001.

Reputed for judicial courage and high-level ethics and professionalism, Mr Oyewole, who was elevated to the Court of Appeal bench on 24 March 2014, has been in the limelight since his days as a High Court judge, handling sensitive, high-profile cases.

In 2005, he jailed Emmanuel Nwude, Nzeribe Okoli, and Amaka Anajemba for their roles in defrauding a Brazilian bank of $242 million.

The scam, considered to be one of the largest financial frauds globally at the time, was perpetrated under the guise of constructing a fictitious airport in Nigeria. The fraud led to the collapse of Banco Noroeste in 2001.

He also sentenced Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, widely known as Reverend King, to death by hanging at the on 11 January 2007, for the murder of church member Ann Uzoh and the attempted murders of others.

READ ALSO: Judicial Reforms: Tinubu proposes virtual hearings, increases appeal court justices to 110

In October 2009, he sentenced Bode George, a stalwart of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to 30 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order, abuse of office and alleged illegal award of contracts worth N84 billion while he was chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority.

In January 2011, the Court of Appeal, affirmed the judgement considered to be courageous at the time. But the Supreme Court overturned the conviction and sentence in December 2013.

But to date, Mr Oyewole is hailed as a judge who handles cases with utmost integrity and courage.

(NAN)