Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), has died at the age of 88.
The family, in a press release confirming his demise on Friday, said: “Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihir Rajiun. It’s with a heavy heart, full of gratitude to Allah Subahanahu Wata’ala, that we announce the passing of our father, Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, former Chief Justice of the Federation.”
Funeral rites of the former CJN who died on Friday were scheduled to take place after Juma’at prayers at the National Mosque in Abuja, in accordance with Islamic tradition.
Justice Uwais was a towering figure in Nigeria’s legal landscape. He was born on June 12, 1936, in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The late CJN was renowned for his commitment to judicial integrity, independence, and systemic reform throughout a career that spanned several decades.
Called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in London in 1963, he began his legal career as a State Counsel in Northern Nigeria.
In 1979, he was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court and went on to serve as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1995 until his retirement in 2006.
Justice Uwais championed the independence of the judiciary and led efforts to strengthen the legal framework in Nigeria.
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007 appointed him to chair the Presidential Electoral Reform Committee, which produced the landmark “Uwais Report.”
The report advocated for the establishment of an Independent Electoral Offences Commission and reforms to the appointment process of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, aiming to bolster transparency in Nigeria’s electoral system.
He was widely admired for his humility, legal acumen, and principled leadership. Justice Uwais is survived by his wife, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, a lawyer and human rights advocate who served as Special Adviser and Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programmes under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
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