A former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mohammed Uwais, is dead.
Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, has passed away at the age of 89. His family confirmed that he died on Friday, June 6, 2025, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Born on June 12, 1936, Justice Uwais served as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1995 until his retirement in 2006. After leaving the Supreme Court, he was appointed by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to chair the Electoral Reform Committee, where he played a pivotal role in shaping recommendations aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process. The committee’s report, widely recognized and debated, became a landmark in the nation’s electoral reform discourse.
Justice Uwais was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in London in 1963 after earning his law degree from the University of London. He began his legal career as a State Counsel and later Senior State Counsel between 1966 and 1970. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Kaduna State in 1973, eventually becoming the state’s Chief Judge in 1976.
His judicial ascent continued with his appointment as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in 1977 and subsequently as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1979. In 1995, he was named Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council.
Justice Uwais also held various distinguished positions, including Chairman of the Nigerian Body of Benchers (1993–1994), and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute (1995–2006).
