By Atoyebi Nike
Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, has died at the age of 89 on Eid-el-Kabir day in Abuja. He served as CJN from 1995 to 2006, capping a legal career that spanned over three decades.
Born in Zaria on June 12, 1936, Uwais studied law in London and joined the Nigerian Bar in 1964. He began as a State Counsel in Northern Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice and rose through the ranks to become Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in 1971. He held judicial appointments across several regions before joining the Supreme Court in 1979, becoming its youngest justice at the time.
Known for championing judicial independence, Uwais led Nigeria’s judiciary for 11 years. After retiring in 2006, he chaired the Electoral Reform Committee, whose influential 2007 report proposed deep changes to the country’s election system, including the creation of an electoral offences commission and reforms to INEC leadership appointments.
Justice Uwais leaves behind a legacy of service, reform, and integrity in Nigeria’s legal and democratic institutions.
