A retired judge of Lagos State High Court, Justice Isiaka Isola Oluwa is dead.

He was 102 years old.

Justice Oluwa died in his home at Ilupeju, Lagos in the early hours of today, Saturday, May 9, 2020.

Justice Oluwa who was a Muslim, was born on June 23, 1918 in Ogwude, Cross River State.

He attended Forcados Government School, Bonny; St Bartholomew’s School, Degema; Government School, Sapele; and King’s College, Lagos.

He will be remembered for sentencing a Lagos socialite, Alhaji Jimoh Isola, a.k.a Ejigbadero, to death for murder of a farmer, Raji Oba over land disputes, in 1975.

Justice Oluwa also attended School of Agriculture, Samaru-Zaria, University of London where he studied Law, and Lincoln’s Inn, London, where he was called to the Bar in 1957.

The late jurist worked severally as lecturer, Farm Management, University of Ibadan(1949-50), Lecturer, School of Agriculture, Samaru-Zaria, and Extension Manager, Zaria Province.

He started his law practice when he returned to Nigeria from London and formed Oluwa, Kotoye and Co. He was appointed High Court judge on June 1,1974 and retired on June 17, 1983.

Retired judges of the Lagos State Judiciary on March 10, 2020 paid a courtesy visit to one of their own, Justice Isiaka Oluwa, who died this morning at his Ilupeju, Lagos residence.

He was born in 1918 and would have been 102 years old on May 23.

The visit was the first of its kind to date in the history of the Lagos State Judiciary.

Notwithstanding the sunny day, the aged justices took off in a long convoy of cars to Justice Oluwa’s Ilupeju residence.

They were received by his wife, Olaide, who ushered them into the family’s large sitting room.

Justice Oluwa, clad in white buba and sokoto with a black fila to match, reclined on a chaise lounge chair.
Resting on his nose was his medicated glasses, which no doubt must have read many remarkable judgments, which earned him the appellate of a ‘quintessential jurist’ during his days on the bench.

He was appointed a judge of the Lagos judiciary in 1974 and retired 37 years ago, having attained the mandatory age of retirement.

Justice Oluwa, a product of the famous King’s College, Lagos, was a former Pro-Chancellor of the Lagos State University.

He was the judge who handled the famous Ejigbadero case.

His auto biography, A Life in Motion, was published 2018, when he attained 100 years old.

The body of retired judges of the Lagos State Judiciary was led by Justice Ishola Olorunnimbe, OON.

Others were former Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, Justice Yishau Yusufu, Justice A.O. Silva, Justice S.O. Ishola, Justice S.O. Hupomu-Wusu, Justice Abike Lufadeju, Justice Titilola Ojikutu-Oshode, Justice Yetunde Idowu, Justice Doris Okuwobi and Justice Olaide Olayinka.

The retired judge was presented with gifts including baskets of varieties of fruits
In his remarks, Justice Olorunnimbe said: “We are making history today as retired judges of the Lagos State Judiciary.

This courtesy visit is to let you know that we have not forgotten you”.

He said they deemed it fit to share felicitations with him now that he is still alive, promising to be with him when he clocks 102 years.

Olorunnimbe described Justice Oluwa as a “very remarkable judge and a beacon of hope to all of the retired judges of the Lagos Judiciary”.

He recalled that he had a wonderful time on the bench of Lagos Judiciary.

“We pray to attain your age but not to surpass it. We pray Almighty God to give you more life and good health”, he prayed.

Welcoming them, Olaide Oluwa, thanked the judges for the felicitations extended to their family.

She expressed appreciation to them and prayed God to give judges on the bench of the Lagos Judiciary with wisdom with which to determine cases brought before them.

The late Justice Oluwa was buried this afternoon in accordance with Muslim rites.