‘Idigbe expounded Nigeria’s law, jurisprudence’

Two partners at Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors, Mrs. Elizabeth Idigbe and Mr. Nnamdi Oragwu, have hailed the contributions of the firm’s founder, the late Justice Chukwunweike Idigbe, to Nigeria’s judiciary and jurisprudence.

The firm is celebrating 100 years of the late jurist with a series of events, including projects commissioning, designed to immortalise him.

Punuka has endowed a full law faculty, to be named the Justice Idigbe Faculty of Law in Veritas University, Abuja, on May 3.

The firm had also endowed a similar faculty at the Dominican University, Ibadan.

Mrs Idigbe said: “It is a service to humanity and our way of contributing to the growth and development of law as a discipline in Nigerian universities.

“As you know, our founder, Justice Chukwunweike Idigbe JSC, OFR, CON, whose 100 years we are celebrating this year, was a Justice of the Supreme Court and a great legal luminary who made an immense contribution to the development of law and jurisprudence in Nigeria.

“He left a legacy of legal precedents that continue to guide decisions of our courts today and will do for generations to come.

“The Law Faculty of Veritas University, Abuja was named after him in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of law. We thank the Idigbe family for their support in the construction of the faculty building.

“Aside from the two universities (Veritas and Dominican), we also support law faculties and law students of some other universities in their activities and also through internship programmes geared towards grooming great lawyers for our society.

“We hope to continue to make these interventions as they align with our corporate values and corporate social responsibility objectives.

“It is indeed a privilege to be celebrating this great legal icon and we hope our friends and well-wishers will join us in the various events.”

The centenary celebrations began with charity visits on February 14 through Punuka Foundation, which it does yearly, supporting many homes and centres through sponsorship, intervention programmes, yearly subvention to some of the homes, and provision of needed facilities, amongst others.

“Let me also mention that February 14, is my birthday, and it just gives me so much joy to see smiles and laughter come on the faces of these special people whenever we visit with the team at Punuka Foundation, the firm and indeed our family and friends,” Mrs Idigbe said.

Partner and Head of Litigation, Mr. Oragwu, who is chairman of the centenary, described the late Justice Idigbe as a gold standard for judges.

He said: “Justice Idigbe is already immortalised through his legacies that live on years after his demise. Our firm founded in the year 1947 is one of such legacies.

“As part of the centenary anniversary, however, we have a series of events earmarked to celebrate him.

“I was not privileged to have met Justice Idigbe in person while he was alive. I, however, make bold to say I met the late jurist through his erudite and scholarly judgments.

“His judgments reflect a firm grasp and understanding of the law hence his ability to apply the law for the justice of the cases he handled.

“He displayed a high level of judicial activism in a lot of his decisions. He was the gold standard for judges.

“His judgments have not only served as a source of inspiration, his landmark decisions like Bucknor-Maclean vs Inlaks Limited, Williams vs Hope Rising, Hirat Balogun vs National Bank Limited, Justus Akpor vs Odhogu Iguoriguo, Attorney General of Mid-Western State vs Warri Esi, Chike Arah Akunnia vs AG Anambra State, Machine Umudje vs Shell-BP Petroleum Dev. Co. of Nig. Ltd, Joseph Falobi vs Elizabeth Falobi, and Florence Coker vs Gabriel Ajewole, amongst several others, continue to shape our jurisprudence.

“As part of the events, these 10 landmark judgments would be discussed and their impact on our present-day jurisprudence amplified by the speakers. It is going to be a yearlong celebration. There is still so much to learn from his life and work.

“We kickstarted the series of events which spread across the four quarters of 2023 with the charity visitation to 10 care homes and schools for special needs on February 13 and 14 2023 by the Punuka Foundation.

“Essential facilities and gifts worth millions of naira were donated to the 10 homes visited in Lagos, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Asaba. The materials donated included Computers, television sets, generators, and food items amongst several others.

“As part of the activities for the second quarter of the year, there will be the commissioning of the Justice Idigbe Faculty of Law at the Veritas University, Abuja by the Chief Justice of Nigeria on May 3, 2023.

“The programme continues on May 4, 2023, with a symposium in his honour at the FCT where judges, seasoned practitioners and renowned academics will discuss the judgments of Justice Idigbe and the impact of his pronouncements on our present-day jurisprudence.

“The last programme for the second quarter will be the commissioning of the Punuka Foundation Childcare Centre, Lekki at the end of July 2023.

“The programmes earmarked to celebrate the late jurist in the third quarter of the year will be held in his native town of Asaba. The programmes are fixed for August 11 and 12.

“The actual 100 posthumous birthday of Justice Idigbe includes a valedictory court session, commissioning of various projects like the Justice Idigbe Library and Museum and the Youth Centre.

“There will also be a catholic Mass and courtesy visit to the traditional institution, the Asagba of Asaba. The grand finale would be the opening of the Punuka new head office.”

Partner and Head of Media, Entertainment, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors, Ms. Isioma Idigbe added: “These events are designed to celebrate and immortalise contributions of the late Justice Idigbe to the development of the legal profession in Nigeria, and to inspire the next generation of legal professionals.

“This is a time of celebration and reflection. Whilst we honour and edify the heritage he left us, we must reflect on whether our lives and practice of the law are in step with his values of excellence, thoroughness, knowledge, diligence and justice which were things that made him one of the greatest legal minds Nigeria has ever seen.”

Justice Idigbe was a distinguished Nigerian jurist who practised law all over West Africa. He served as a judge in the then Eastern Region of Nigeria High Court and Chief Justice of Midwest Region of Nigeria rising to the position of Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

He was born on August 12, 1923, at Kaduna, Nigeria, the fourth (and only surviving) child of Alexander Ahudinma and his wife, Madam Christiana Idigbe.

Chike, as he was fondly called, began his education at St. Mary’s Catholic Mission, Port Harcourt, at the age of six.

He later gained admission to Christ the King College, Onitsha, in 1937.

In 1943, he passed the Cambridge examination in Division One and obtained an exemption from the London Matriculation Examination.

He had planned to study engineering in London, but suddenly, and in an interesting manner, changed his mind to study law and was admitted to study law at King’s College, University of Cambridge.

He finished brilliantly at King’s College, obtaining a Second-Class Upper Division Grade in his LLB in 1946 and winning the much-coveted Forster-Campbell Prize in Criminal Law.

He was also one of the first four Nigerians to pass the Cambridge University Law examination with honours- the others being Dr. T.O. Elias (former Attorney General of the Federation and Chief Justice of Nigeria), Dr. G.B.A. Coker, and Gabriel Onyuike QC, SAN.

Being the first lawyer in the Asaba Division and the then Benin Province, in 1947, upon his return to Nigeria, he was welcomed in grandeur.

He was admitted to the Nigerian Bar later that year.

He settled in Warri, where he established his law office PUNUKA Chambers (named after his great-great-grandfather Obi Idigbe, who was married to one ‘Onye Punuka’) with the famous Sierra-Leonean lawyer Nelson Williams.

In 1961, he was appointed a Judge of the Eastern Nigeria High Court, and in 1964, he was elevated to the position of Justice of the Supreme Court.

From 1964-1967, he served concurrently as the Chief Justice of the newly created Mid-Western region before he ceased to be a Nigerian judge as a result of the Civil War.

In 1972, he joined Irving and Bonnar, the oldest law firm in Nigeria as a partner, and three years later in 1975, he was re-appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

He shared the Supreme Court bench with notable Justices such as William Algernon Holwell Duffus, Edger Ignatius G. Unsworth, John Idowu Conrad Taylor, Vahe Robert Bairamian, Eugene O. Adeyinka Morgan, Louis Nwachukwu Mbanefo, Michael Oguejiofo Ajegbo, George Baptist A. Coker, Charles Dadi Onyeama, Ian Lewis, Atanda Fatai-Williams (CJN), Udo Udoma, Taslim Olawale Elias (CJN), George Sodeinde Sowemimo (CJN), Dan Ibekwe, Darnley Arthur R. Alexander (CJN), Mahman Nasir, Muhammed Bello (CJN), Charles Olusoji Madarikan, Andrew Otutu Obaseki, Anthony Nnaemezie Aniagolu, Buba Ardo, Kayode Eso, Augustine Nnamani and Muhammadu Lawal Uwais (CJN).

During his tenure on the Bench, he delivered the lead judgements in several landmark cases amongst which are: Bucknor-Maclean & Anor vs Inlaks Limited, Shitta-Bey vs Federal Public Service Commission, Arase vs Arase, Balogun vs National Bank, Usoro vs Shell Petroleum Development Co., Atiti Gold vs Beatrice Osaseren, Mutual Aids Society vs Akerele amongst others.

He also served as chairman of the land use committee set up to review the land tenure system in Nigeria.

He was the recipient of two national honours: Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) and Commander of the Niger (CON).

Justice Idigbe was also a traditional chief (Olinzele) of Asaba and held the highly coveted title of Izoma of Asaba as a man of the people.

He was happily married and blessed with children, amongst whom are: Mr. Victor Idigbe, Mr. Jude Obioha Idigbe Esq, Mrs. Uche Idigbe, Chief (Dr) Anthony Ikemefuna Idigbe (SAN), Mr. Amaechi Felix Idigbe and Mr. Ifeanyi Paul Idigbe (late).

He passed away on July 31, 1983, at the Cromwell Hospital in London, just a few days short of his 60th birthday and anticipated appointment as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

He was a remarkable jurist and a trailblazer in his field, leaving a legacy that inspires generations of legal practitioners in Nigeria and beyond.