On November 11, 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria will conduct a special valedictory court session to commemorate the late Justice Emmanuel Olayinka Ayoola.
The session, which is anticipated to draw attendees from the judiciary, legislature, and executive branches, will be held in the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court. According to a statement from Dr. Festus Akande, the Director of Information and Public Relations, the session will begin at 2:00 PM.
Justice Ayoola, who retired from the Supreme Court in 2003, passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 20, 2024, at the age of 90.
Born on October 27, 1933, in Ilesha, Osun State, Justice Emmanuel Olayinka Ayoola was a distinguished legal figure with humble origins. He began his judicial career as a Judge of the High Court in the former Western Nigeria on February 1, 1976, and served as a Justice of the Supreme Court from November 25, 1998, until his mandatory retirement at age 70 in 2003.
In addition to his influential role in Nigeria, he also served as the Chief Justice of The Gambia, President of the Court of Appeal of The Seychelles, and Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), among other esteemed positions.
The special court session will be presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who will pay tribute to the late Justice Ayoola alongside other prominent figures from the nation’s justice sector.
