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There was a lull in the Ekiti State judiciary headquarters in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday following the death of the state Chief Judge, Justice Oyewole Adeyeye.
Justice Adeyeye, who was inaugurated as Ekiti State CJ on October 11, 2021, died on Monday at the age of 64 years old.
He escaped death by a whisker in July 2023 when a section of the state High Court complex reportedly collapsed on him while in the office.
Adeyeye, who was flown overseas for medical attention, had since returned to his desk before his death on Monday, which the Chief Registrar said was during “a brief illness.”
The late CJ, who was born in 1960 in Araromi Ugbesi, Ekiti East Local Government Area, started his legal career after being called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, expressed sadness at the death news.
Oyebanji, in a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, described the late Justice Adeyeye’s demise “as heartrending and a colossal loss for the state.”
The governor said, “With the death of the late Justice Adeyeye, the judiciary in Ekiti State in particular and Nigeria in general has lost a great pillar and an asset whose worth is invaluable.”
Oyebanji described the late chief judge as a firm and forthright jurist who demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the principles of equity and justice.
He noted that Adeyeye worked hard for a vibrant and independent judiciary in his lifetime which made that arm of government contribute to good governance and the defence of the rights of citizens.
The governor added that the late Justice Adeyeye did his best in advocating better welfare for judicial officers and staff members of the Ekiti State Judiciary to ensure effective service delivery and smooth running of the justice sector.
He stated, “This is indeed a great loss to our dear state. On behalf of the government and people of Ekiti State, I commiserate with the family of the late Justice Adeyeye and pray that the good Lord will console and comfort them, and grant the dear departed eternal rest.”
Ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi, in a statement by his Personal Assistant, Mr Dayo Ajibaye, described the deceased as a guardian of justice dedicated to the service of the people.
He noted that the sudden demise of Justice Adeyeye was a great loss to the judicial system in Ekiti State and Nigeria as a whole.
“I received with profound sadness the news of the passing of Hon Justice John Oyewole Adeyeye, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State. This is a great loss, not only for Ekiti State but for Nigeria as a whole.
“Justice Adeyeye was a towering figure in our judiciary, a dedicated jurist, and a steadfast guardian of justice who served the people of Nigeria and Ekiti with honour, diligence, and integrity,” he said.
The Chief Registrar of Ekiti State Judiciary, Olanike Adegoke, described the late CJ as “a respected jurist who dedicated his life to upholding the principle of fairness, equity and justice.”
Adegoke, in a statement on Tuesday by the Public Relations Officer of the state judiciary, Michael Oba, stated that late CJ’s “contribution to the development of the judiciary and Ekiti State at large are immeasurable and his legacy will be deeply missed.”
Also, the immediate past Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ekiti State, Olawale Fapohunda (SAN), expressed sadness over the CJ’s “untimely death.”
Fapohunda said the CJ’s death “is one of life’s cruel ironies that only a short while ago, we were celebrating his recovery from the injuries he sustained when a section of the state high court complex collapsed on him in his office mid-2023. Now, shortly thereafter, we are mourning his passing.
“It seems inexplicable, but to the faithful, we are left to remember the profundity of the opening eight verses of chapter three of Ecclesiastes and accept the providence of a sovereign God.
“Those of us who knew Justice Adeyeye will remember his quiet dignity, his temperate disposition, and his humility in wearing the privilege and power of high judicial office without ever succumbing to pomposity or arrogance.
“May God bless John Oyewole Adeyeye, and May God bless Ekiti State he served so well,” Fapohunda said.
Oyebanji appoints Ogunmoye acting CJ
Meanwhile, the governor has appointed Justice Lekan Ogunmoye as acting CJ.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Olayinka Oyebode, disclosed in a statement in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday night.
Oyebode stated that the appointment “is in furtherance of the powers conferred on the governor by Section 271 (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”
He stated that “the appointment of Hon Justice Ogunmoye takes effect from November 5, 2024.”
Ogunmoye was born on November 6, 1963, called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987 and was appointed a judge on April 1, 2010.
“Governor Oyebanji wishes the new acting Chief Judge a successful tenure,” the statement said.
