Tag: Ariwoola

On August 22, Olukayode Tajudeen Ariwoola retired as the 22nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). During a valedictory court section organised in his honour, he told the story of his life, highlighting key milestones. He also suggested ways to enhance justice delivery. Assistant Editor ERIC IKHILAE was there.

The beginning

In the ancient Yoruba kingdom, in fact, in most parts of Africa, before literacy was introduced, one way of marking a significant date was to tie it with a momentous event that occurred around the same time. I was born the same year the Lyttleton Constitution of 1954 was promulgated. It was that Constitution that established the Federal Supreme Court of Nigeria — the same institution which has pleased Almighty Allah for me to head. The Supreme Court is, therefore, more than a Court to me. The Supreme Court is my ‘birth mate.’ The court is 70 years old this year, the same as my humble self. I was, therefore, born in the year of the Supreme Court. What I am not certain of is whether when I was born in Iseyin (Oyo State), my parents – Alhaji Shittu Ariwoola (Mako Allah, Baba Elepo L’ Ebedi) and my mother, Alhaja Misitura Ayoade Ariwoola (Iya Alaso) – ever knew that their new-born baby would have anything to do with the important Court that was established in Lagos that year. Therefore, I look back today with a heart full of gratitude. As an elementary pupil in Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole, Iseyin, headed by Chief (Mrs.) Oke, one regular assignment we were usually given in English Language lessons was to be asked to write about ‘A Day You Will Never Forget in Your Life.’ If I were to be given the same assignment today, today, 22nd August 2024, would certainly be the winner.

My early days at school

Today is the culmination of an academic and professional career that started, as I have mentioned earlier, at LA Demonstration School in 1960 – the year Nigeria gained independence.  That was the school where my educational foundation was laid. It was in that school that I learnt one of the most important lessons of my life – the habit of punctuality. As fate would have it, in all the three institutions I attended prior to the university, I was appointed or elected the Time-Keeper or the Bell Prefect.

How I came about the walking stick

Punctuality was, however, not the only thing I took away from my elementary school. Today, I will reveal the secret of my walking stick to you, which is another manifestation of the grace of God in my life. It was in primary school that I learnt to ride a bicycle. One day, during the Sallah festival, I was asked to deliver meat to a family. I rode a bicycle for the errand. I had delivered the message and was on my way back home when I had an accident on the bike. Like a stone shot from a catapult, I flew off the bicycle and landed on the ground. For many months, I was hospitalised at Baptist Hospital in Saki on account of a broken femur. The white doctors, at a point, even considered amputation of the leg. To the glory of God, I walked out of the hospital on my two legs, though on crutches. Notwithstanding that I was in hospital for months, I did not miss any academic sessions. I went to write my examination from the hospital bed. I graduated with my classmates.  However, the pain in my leg came back in 1970 when I was already in Ansar Ud Deen High School, Saki. I was soon back in the same Baptist Hospital where Dr. Fatula – an Ekiti man – performed the miracle that healed the leg.

Why I studied Law

As it happened, my father had a lawyer who was representing him in a litigation he was involved with. The lawyer was dashing, smart, and brilliant. Mr. Stephen Laoye Popoola of counsel was always smartly dressed, and his spoken English was impeccable. He had this infectious confidence around him. Instantly, I knew I wanted to be like him. When I was in Form II, my father asked me what I wanted to study at the university, my answer was straightforward – Law. The journey to study Law was, however, not that straightforward. There was a detour to Obokun Advanced Studies Centre, Ilesa, where I spent two years preparing for my HSC (Higher School Certificate) before finally getting to my destination – the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

My days at the University of Ife

At Ife, I was trained by a world-class Faculty, including the renowned Prof. David Ijalaye – the first Professor Emeritus in Law; Prof. Itse Sagay, Prof. Gabriel Olawoyin, and Prof. Oretuyi, amongst others. My LL.B Degree was not the only thing I left the University of Ife with. In Ife, I was blessed to make lifelong friends with great individuals who have all reached the pinnacle of their careers. These worthy classmates and friends include Chief Felix Fagbohungbe, Pastor Femi Atoyebi, Chief Babajide Koku, and Chief Mike Ozekhome, all of whom are Senior Advocates of Nigeria. The late Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, the former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, was also in my class, as well as Prince S. K. Lawal, and the late Blessing Avwenaghagha, who prosecuted the notorious armed robber, Lawrence Anini.

My Law School experience

The Nigeria Law School was another veritable platform for me to make lifelong friends and colleagues from all over Nigeria. At this point, I must thank Allah for the Class of 1981 of the Nigerian Law School. The Class has indeed been blessed. Seven members of the class made it to the Supreme Court as Honourable Justices of the apex court. The Class has produced two Chief Justices of Nigeria, and in the next few hours, Insha Allah, the Class would have produced the third Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Beginning of my Law career

One thing I am fond of telling young lawyers is that they must not joke or play with their Youth Service year. It is the formative period when their foundation in the legal profession is laid.  In this regard, I am indebted to Chief Joseph K. Aderibigbe, the then Attorney-General of the Old Ondo State, and all the counsel in the Ondo State Ministry of Justice, Akure. They sharpened my legal teeth as a pupil State Counsel when I served in the Ministry as a Youth Corps member. I recall that I traversed the whole of Ondo State between 1981 and 1982, appearing in almost all the nine judicial divisions of the state at the time. Our seniors in the Ministry at the time included Senator Anthony Adeniyi (SAN) and Justice Bisi Omoleye, (JCA).

I never planned to be a judge

It was never in my career plan that I would ever sit on the Bench. That was never my plan. If it had been my plan, I would have stayed back as State Counsel in the Oyo State Ministry of Justice, and hoped to rise through the ranks to become the Solicitor-General and from there to the Bench.

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My private practice years

It was the need to make it in private practice that led to my resignation from the Ministry in 1988, to join the law firm of Ladosu Ladapo & Co. It was the same hunger to reach the peak of practice, as a Senior Advocate, that compelled me to set up my chambers, Olukayode Ariwoola & Co (Mako Allah Chambers) in Oyo town. Till tomorrow, many people still wonder why I decided to set up my chambers in Oyo town and not Ibadan, where I was already known. Oyo was, however, part of the grand design of Allah for me. It was from that provincial and ancient town that Allah raised my head. Some people believe that one can only make it in the legal profession if one practises in huge cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Onitsha, Kano or Port-Harcourt. The reality, however, is that wherever you find yourself, be diligent, be focused, be prayerful, and by God’s grace, the sky is the starting point.

How I became a judge

At the time I was nominated to the Bench, becoming a judge was the last thing on my mind. I was even, at my personal costs, moving around Ibadan, pleading with learned seniors to allow themselves to be nominated. Unknown to me, different interest groups had nominated me! I was nominated by the Ibadan Bar, where the late Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), was the chairman. I was nominated by a group of Honourable Judges before whom I have had the privilege of appearing. The State Governor (of Oyo State), His Excellency Chief Kolapo Ishola, also forwarded my name for consideration. I am eternally grateful to them all. With all these nominations raining down, one would have assumed that my appointment would be hitch-free. Not at all. It got to a point where the Chief Registrar, who was worried that my name was removed from the list, requested me to contact people who could be of influence to assist me. My response was, however, to the effect that: ‘He who prays and supplicates to God, must not supplicate to other beings. If God Almighty has an errand to send in the Judiciary, He would facilitate the appointment.’ I was number nine on the list of the nine names that were finally recommended to the Governor for approval. But there were only six vacancies. In other words, I was the last in order of recommendation. The first five were approved by the Governor. The number six was skipped. The number seven was skipped. The number eight was skipped. The executive red pen hovered above number nine and stopped. The number nine was approved as number six. Olukayode Ariwoola was the number nine, who became the number six. On 2nd November, 1992, I was sworn in as a judge of the High Court of Oyo State. Of the six of us sworn in together, I was the youngest in age and in post-qualification experience. Justice A. Adeniran and Justice L. O. Arasi were enrolled on 26th July, 1970. Justice J. O. Ige was enrolled on 17th July, 1972. Justice I. O. Olakanmi was called to the Bar on 26th June, 1973. Justice K. A. Jimoh was called to the Bar on 28th June, 1975. I was, therefore, naturally assigned to the last court in the Judiciary: Court 16. The dashing and brilliant lawyer, who had inspired me to study Law and who had since been elevated to the Bench as Hon. Justice Stephen Laoye Popoola had the fortune of welcoming me to the Bench — precisely 10 years after his own elevation in 1982.

My elevation to Court of Appeal

On 22nd November, 2005, I was elevated to the Court of Appeal. By virtue of this appointment, I became the first person from the entire Oke-Ogun to become an appellate Justice – a modest achievement for the whole community.  I was posted to the Kaduna Division of the Court of Appeal as my first station. On the first day, we sat in Kaduna, the three of us on the panel – Justice Abdulkadir Jega, Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, and my humble self – realised that we all belonged to the same 1981 Class of Law School. I thank their Lordships and our Presiding Justice, Hon. Justice Baba Alkali Ba’aba, who welcomed me to Kaduna and eased me into the workings of the Appellate Court. I have had cause to refer to the Court of Appeal Justices as ‘Nomadic Justices’ on account of our frequent postings. From Kaduna, I was posted to Enugu. Enugu was not a strange town to me. I had sat there as a member of the Election Petition Tribunal in 1999. Strangely, a week after the conclusion of our assignment in 1999, I learnt that our chambers was bombed by unknown arsonists. From Enugu, my appellate ship berthed in Lagos.

My journey to the Supreme Court

It was from the Lagos division (of the Court of Appeal) that I was nominated to the apex court alongside my Lords, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta and Justice Mary Peter-Odili. We were invited to the National Assembly for the constitutional screening. It was at the Senate that history sought to repeat itself when the distinguished parliamentarians decided to ‘adjourn’ my screening. The reason for the adjournment? I was informed that there was an outstanding petition against my nomination. What was I alleged to have done? I was told that I was a member of the Justice Salami-led panel that decided the case of Dr. Olukayode Fayemi v. Olusegun Adebayo Oni. I knew there was no substance to the petition if indeed there was a petition. A favourite proverb of my grandfather, Abdul Salami Ariwoola, was that: ‘he who does not spread cocoa out to dry does not fear rain at all.’ I knew I had no cocoa spread out to dry; therefore, I was not afraid of any rainfall.  Justices Ngwuta and Peter Odili were successfully screened and cleared. I rejoiced with them and congratulated them. They proceeded to the Supreme Court, and I proceeded to Lagos to continue my work at the Court of Appeal. Their two Lordships were both sworn in in June, 2011 as Justices of the Supreme Court. A couple of months later, I was invited back to the National Assembly. This time around, there was no mention of any petition. I was duly screened, and my appointment was confirmed. In the month of November 2011, I was sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court. All my three judicial appointments, from the trial court to the penultimate appellate court to the apex court, had taken place in November. I was appointed a judge of the High Court of Oyo State on 2nd November 1992. I was elevated to the Court of Appeal on 22nd November 2005. I was elevated to the Supreme Court on 22nd November 2011 – the anniversary of my elevation to the Court of Appeal. When I was elevated to the apex court, I was number 16. Incidentally, when I was appointed a judge of the High Court years earlier, I was number 16 in the Oyo State High Court.

How I became CJN

On 27th June 2022, I was sworn in as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, and I was conferred with the National Honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger. Months later, I was sworn in as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria. Although the present Supreme Court was constituted in its present form in 1954 as I mentioned above, it was not lost on me that, counting from 1914 the year of amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates with the Colony of Lagos, I was the 22nd Chief Justice to hold sway in the Supreme Court.

My days as the CJN

I came to the office as the Chief Justice of Nigeria at a critical point in the history of both our nation and our judiciary. Our country was in the process of political transition, and our judiciary was in a state of turmoil. The tasks appeared daunting, and the challenges appeared insurmountable. However, with our faith in God and our trust in Him for guidance, our ship was able to successfully navigate the seemingly perilous waves and berthed safely at the harbour of peace. I must pay sincere and heartfelt tributes to my Brother Justices, whom I have been privileged to sit with here. They are true brothers in deed and in fact. It must be realised that a Chief Justice is not the boss or the employer of his brother Justices. He is not. He is only the first among equals.  A Chief Justice must, therefore, not see himself as the Emperor of the Supreme Court. The occupier must work with his colleagues with mutual respect in order to have a successful administration.

Democratisation of administration

One of the first things we did, on the assumption of office, was democratising the workings of the court. We created committees of the Justices. We had a Litigation Committee, an Administration Committee, a Welfare Committee, a Finance and Budget Committee, and other committees, all headed by a Justice of the court.  With this in place, I was able to focus on the duty of administering the court. Although this innovative system is not codified, it has been a successful experiment, and I hope other courts will consider it too.

Promoting the right to fair hearing

It is my conviction that the right to fair hearing enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria could only be meaningful when litigants have enough judges and justices to hear their cases. Justice is not a scarce commodity to be queued for. Justice without delay is inherent, natural, and constitutional. In my view, it is antithetical to the concept of justice when litigants are made to wait for years in order to have their cases determined. As a Justice of the Supreme Court, it was always a sobering moment for me whenever an appeal was called to be heard, and a learned counsel stood up to inform us that the appellant or the respondent was late. In effect, the litigant had died without his appeal being determined one way or the other. It was for this reason that I made it a priority that no stone must be left unturned to ensure that we brought more judicial officers into the system. I must express our collective gratitude to the distinguished members of the Federal Judicial Service Council and the National Judicial Council for their commitment to the project of liberalisation of the judiciary. Without their active participation, we could not have pushed the process through. The Legislative Arm of government must also be commended not only for the swift constitutional screening of the nominees where required but also for the budgetary approval required to fund the appointment. The Executive Arm deserves commendation for the political will to see the project to the end. In this regard, we have all succeeded in demonstrating the practical working of the constitutional principle of Separation of Powers. The three arms of government are separate but not disparate. We are independent but not in isolation. We cooperate, but we do not compromise. This, in my view, is the true essence of separation of powers. The Supreme Court was not the only court that benefitted from the appointment of new Justices. The Bench of the Court of Appeal also had its ranks swelled by the appointment of two sets of new Justices in 2023 and 2024. With respect to the trial courts, that is, the Federal High Court, the National Industrial Court, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, and the High Court of the states, they all experienced the injection of new judges. This will go a long way in facilitating the speedy dispensation of justice.

Welfare improvement

One area where we have also attempted to make a difference is in the aspect of the welfare of judicial officers – both serving and retired. A judicial officer’s work is not from 9am to 5pm. The reality of our existence is that a judge’s job is a 24-hour job. He sits in the court from 9am to about 3pm, if not later. When others close for the day, a Justice resumes his afternoon shift. That is when he begins to prepare his judgments and rulings. When others are resting at home after dinner, he commences his night shift by reading his files for the next day. There is no Judex worth his salt that will not read his files before getting to the court. For the past 32 years, I have always had one judgment or ruling pending for me to write. I cannot recall a single time in the last three decades when there was no judgment for me to write. It is for this reason that I believe that the emoluments of judicial officers must not be sweated for in or outside the office. Our judges must not be made to go cap in hand to beg before their remuneration is paid. Our retired justices deserve to live in relative reasonable comfort after spending their prime years serving the country. This is more so that they are constitutionally precluded from going back to active practice as barristers after leaving office. If truth must be told, the welfare of the judiciary is the welfare of the country. I am glad that we have made appreciable progress in this regard with the passage of the Bill for an Act to Prescribe the Salaries, Allowances and Fringe Benefits of Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria and for Related Matters by the National Assembly.

Judicial Assistant Scheme

One peculiar feature of the work of a judicial officer is that its performance is not delegable. It is not an assignment that can be done by proxy. A brother judge cannot prepare your judgment for you. He cannot conduct your trial for you. He cannot assess your witness for you. It is thus a back-breaking profession. We thus instituted the idea of Judicial Assistant to provide relief for Justices in the area of research and documentation. This crop of staff will aid the work of their Lordships by conducting research for them. It is hoped that the scheme will be a permanent feature of our justice system at all levels.

New Supreme Court Rules

When I became the Chief Justice of Nigeria, I was concerned about the fact that the rules regulating procedures in the apex court were those made 39 years ago. Although Practice Directions have been issued at regular intervals over the years to meet demands of justice, the substantive rules were still as made in 1985. l am convinced that the rules of procedure of any court are the engine that drives its operations. It is also my view that the rules must be dynamic and contemporary in order to meet the changing demands of both the Bench and the Bar. At the time the Supreme Court Rules 1985 were made, things that are now ubiquitous like information technology, electronic transactions, and global telecommunications, amongst others, were either not in existence or in their formative infancy. How then could such obsolete rules be adequate for the challenges of today? It was for this reason that I empanelled a Rules Committee to undertake the arduous assignment of reviewing the 39-year-old Rules and the many extant practice directions comprehensively. I am glad to report to you all that earlier this month, pursuant to the provisions of Section 236 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, I signed off on the new Supreme Court Rules 2024. In this regard, I must not fail to commend the wonderful job done by Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, JSC; Justice Inyang Okoro, JSC; Justice Moronkeji Helen Ogunwumiju, JSC, Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN, and Mr. Yakubu C. Maikyau, SAN. Their dedication and commitment ensured that the new Rules became a reality. I am grateful to them.

Supreme Court’s ADR option

The Supreme Court Mediation Centre, which was established during the tenure of My Lord Justice Mahmood Mohammed, CJN, has now become fully operational. It is my conviction that there is more than one route that leads to justice and that the fundamental objective of everyone, who approaches the court is to get justice within a reasonable time. The Centre is empowered to provide alternative dispute resolution services to litigants thereby ensuring that disputes are resolved amicably and without acrimony. More importantly, the Centre will ensure that the docket of the Supreme Court is not clogged with matters that could be settled amicably. It is our hope that counsel and their clients will take advantage of the Centre to ensure that their matters are resolved speedily and harmoniously, without the attendant friction of litigation.

Need to reduce Supreme Court’s workload

Access to justice should not be regarded as an uncontrolled and unfiltered liberty to bring all forms of cases to the Supreme Court.  It is my belief that we trivialise the institution of the Supreme Court as a Court of Policy when every form of litigation is able to meander its way to the apex Court. It also diminishes the judicial importance of the Court of Appeal – that very important appellate court – when every one of its decisions must be reviewed by us here. I daresay that if there is another court that is superior to the Supreme Court, many cases will find their way to that Court ad infinitum. Counsel and litigants ought to know when to call it a day. Eleven months ago, Justice Amina Augie – that extremely brilliant and hardworking jurist – In her Valedictory Speech, narrated her surprise that one of the cases that found its way to the Supreme Court was an appeal in respect of 12 goats. Yes, 12 goats were the subject of a matter that came to the apex court. What these types of cases do is to clog the system, thereby depriving other important cases from being heard.

Need for cooperation between the Bench and the Bar

The legal profession is made up, in the main, of the Bench and the Bar. As it is inconceivable for a bird to fly with one wing, it is impossible for either the Bench or the Bar to thrive without each other. The success of the profession, and in fact of the justice sector, is anchored on the efficient cooperation and effective collaboration of both the Bench and the Bar. Having been on the Bench for more than three decades, I believe I am in a vantage position to state without any fear of equivocation that Nigeria is blessed with a brilliant and vibrant Bar. Their oral advocacy is top-notch, their written briefs of argument are first-class, and their professional ethics are excellent. It was always a thing of joy for me and my colleagues whenever we listened to the brilliant submissions emanating from the Inner and the Outer Bar. I must therefore thank members of the Nigerian Bar Association for their professionalism. By their industry, they have raised the bar of advocacy. I must also commend members of the Bar for their discipline and decorum. I have been privileged to be a recipient of utmost respect and courtesy from members of the Bar from the time I served as a High Court Judge till date. Throughout my tenure on the Bench, there was never a single instance when a counsel was rude to me or when I was rude to a member of the Bar. During my tenure as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, I worked with two Attorneys General of the Federation: Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN and Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. I also worked with one President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN. I used the three gentlemen as my point of contact to express my appreciation to the entire members of the Bar for their support over the years.

Senior lawyers should mentor young ones

Leaders of the Bar must not abandon their duty of mentoring the younger practitioners, who are just coming to the profession. It is your responsibility to hold their hand during their formative years. This is one of your most important duties. As a fruit does not fall far from the tree, so the younger lawyers are seen as a reflection of their seniors. Of recent, we have started witnessing a fall, not only in the standard of advocacy but also in the manner of the dressing of our younger colleagues. It is important to reiterate the elementary point that it is highly unprofessional for counsel to address the in the second person as ‘you.’ It must always be ‘the court,’ ‘Your Lordship’ or ‘My Lord .’ Respect and decorum between the Bench and the Bar is the foundation of our profession. I will say no more on this issue.

The sacrifices I made for my career choice

As a youngster, I was an avid reader. My taste in reading was eclectic. I read every novel I came across. Judicial responsibilities, however, had made me to cut down drastically on reading non-legal works. Now that I am retiring, I intend to commence reading without the pressure of pending judgment or ruling. One of the novels I read long ago was by James Hadley Chase with the title: ‘There is Always a Price Tag.’ I mentioned above the fact that Court of Appeal Justices are nomadic Justices by virtue of our frequent postings. What I did not mention is the fact that some people are always paying the price for our absence. That is our family. I, therefore, pay tribute to the forbearance of my family during the many years of absence. My wife, Chief (Mrs.) Adewumi Ariwoola, Chief Afimo tunorise of Ibadan, is exceptional in this respect. She is what Yoruba people will describe as obinrin bi okunrin (a woman who does the work of a man). From the time I left Ibadan to set up my Chambers in Oyo town, she proved to be a strong pillar of support. When I was posted to Saki division of the Oyo State High Court, she was there for the family like the Rock of Gibraltar. When I was posted to Kaduna, she held the fort like an army general. When I was transferred to Enugu, she was the glue that kept the family together. When posting took me to Lagos, my wife did not allow the children to feel my absence. Like my uncle, Professor Peller, the famous magician, my wife expertly and adroitly juggled the many balls of being a professional in her own right with keeping the home intact. I am eternally in her debt. Thank you, Mummy Permanent Secretary. I also thank my children for keeping the flag of the Ariwoola family flying without stain. They endured my countless absences without complaining. They are the best children any parent would wish for. Another price I have had to pay was with regard to my health. In 2016, I had a Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery as a result of a blocked artery. A vessel had to be removed from my leg and inserted in my chest to serve as a passage for blood. It was a testing time for me and the family but glory be to God, I am today alive to witness this crowning moment of my career. I am grateful to Justice Suleiman Galadima JSC (rtd), who took it upon himself to request the Chief Imam of the Supreme Court Mosque to continue to supplicate for me while the surgery lasted. My friends, Dr. Junaid Ogundiran and Dr. Mashood Sodiq in Ibadan were also engaged in prayers throughout the time I was in the theatre. I am grateful to them all.

The autobiography of Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola will be presented on August 22, as part of events to mark his 70th birthday and retirement.

Entitled: Judging with Justice, it is an engaging narrative of Justice Ariwoola’s life and career.

A statement by Olanrewaju Akinsola, on behalf of the organising committee, said the presentation would be held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The event, which coincides with the 70th birthday of the foremost jurist and his retirement as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), will have in attendance members of the Bench, the Bar and other dignitaries.

Former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar is expected at the event.

Justice Benedict Kanyip will review the book.

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The organisers said the autobiography “is a candid and introspective account of his journey through the ranks of the judiciary, highlighting his experiences, challenges, and triumphs.

“The book offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a judicial Icon who has played a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s judicial landscape,” they added.

According to Akinsola, the book presentation is a landmark event which promises to be a significant milestone in the nation’s judicial history.

He said it would offer a unique opportunity for legal practitioners, scholars, and the general public to gain insight into the life and times of one of Nigeria’s most respected jurists.

Court of Appeal President Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, in the foreword, writes that the book “is written in Justice Ariwoola’s characteristic flowing prose and simple yet powerful language”.

She adds the autobiography “will take the reader on a colourful voyage of fascinating adventures starting from Iseyin, to Ile-Ife, to Akure, to Ibadan, to Oyo, to Kaduna, to Enugu, to Lagos, before finally berthing in Abuja like the climax of a blockbuster movie flick.”