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Kekere-Ekun: Nigeria’s second female CJN whose father was lawyer, senator

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Two years before Nigeria’s independence, in the heart of London, the United Kingdom, Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, a name that would resonate through the corridors of Nigeria’s justice system, was born.

But her roots are in Lagos, where both her parents are indigenes. Born on May 7, 1958. she is the eldest of eleven siblings in a polygamous home. Her father, Hassan Adisa Babatunde Fasinro, was also a lawyer and politician, while her mother, Winifred Layiwola Ogundimu (née Savage), is a UK-trained nurse.

 

Fasinro, popularly called HAB, was a senator representing Lagos in the second republic and the first clerk of the Lagos City Council. Having a father who is a lawyer may have influenced Kekere-Ekun’s passion for the legal profession.

 

She commenced her secondary education in 1970 at Queens College, Lagos, and studied law at the University of Lagos from 1977 to 1980. She then proceeded to the Nigerian Law School and was called to the bar in July 1981. After that, she underwent the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from 1981–82 at the ministry of justice in Benin City, Edo (then Bendel state).

Upon completing her service year, she proceeded to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), obtaining a master’s degree in law in 1983.

 

NIGERIA’S SECOND FEMALE CJN

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun

Kekere-Ekun’s father was a lawyer, senator, while her mother was a UK-trained nurse. Kekere-Ekun passed through the system, building capacity through every phase of her career to what would become its zenith in the Nigerian judicial space. She started her ascent on the ladder of the judicial hierarchy as a senior magistrate Grade II, Lagos, in December 1989 and rose to become a high court judge in July 1996.

 

As a high court judge, she served as chairperson of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, from November 1996 to May 1999, during which she delivered some landmark judgments.

 

She was then promoted to the court of appeals in September 2004 and served as a member of its ICT committee between 2011 and 2013.

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In 2013, Kekere-Ekun, fondly called Young Toks, was appointed a Supreme Court justice. She is the fifth and youngest female to be appointed as a justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. She was made for this — to bring honour to her family, to women, to black women, and to her nation through hard work and servitude — a force to reckon with, a model worthy of emulating.

 

Kekere-Ekun is the second female to emerge as CJN in Nigeria after Aloma Mukhtar, who held the position between July 2012 and November 2014. Interestingly, it was Mukhtar who swore in Kekere-Ekun as a supreme court justice in 2013.

 

Kekere-Ekun was awarded a national honour as commander of the federal republic (CFR) in 2022.

Some describe her as incorruptible, apolitical, and a disciplinarian; others say Kekere-Ekun’s character is as revered as her strength. In an interview, Adegboyega Awomolo, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and chairman of the body of benchers, painted a portrait of a woman of impeccable integrity, a jurist unyielding in her pursuit of justice.

 

Awomolo said Kekere-Ekun is a disciplinarian and would make an exemplary chief justice.

 

“Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun is a disciplinarian. She is disciplined in every respect. She is not frivolous in any way. She is apolitical. In other words, she is not a politician. She is free of political encumbrance or baggage. Because she is free of that political garbage, she is going to be very professional. I can assure you. She will be very professional,” Awomolo said.

 

“She will be a disciplined Chief Justice of Nigeria and she will uphold the integrity and honour of the court and the judiciary as a whole. Nobody should take her for granted at all. Nobody should assume that he can control her. No, you cannot. I’m not particularly close to her but from my little experience, or knowledge of the way I see her, she is not frivolous at all, she is not open to corruption. She is not open to influence. She is not open to any bad behaviour.

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“So, I am expecting a Chief Justice of Nigeria that will do us proud, that will maintain the integrity of the bench, and that will work together with her colleagues in the Supreme Court. She is not politically inclined. I’m hoping that she would be an exemplary chief justice. Exemplary in character. Exemplary in professionalism. What else do we expect? Let’s wait for her time and applause when she leaves.”

 

KEKERE-EKUN’S ROLE IN UZODINMA VS IHEDIOHA SAGA

Kekere-Ekun read the ruling in the controversial case between Ihedioha and Uzodinma
The shadow of what most key observers have described as the most controversial judgement in Nigeria’s post-independence history, however, trails Kekere-Ekun’s profile.

The Imo state governorship election case, a watershed moment in Nigerian politics, saw her deliver a verdict that would put the legal system to the test and set precedence for future rulings.

Kekere-Ekun read the supreme court judgement in the January 2020 verdict that sacked Emeka Ihedioha and proclaimed Hope Uzodinma as lawful Imo state governor, based on claims that results from 388 polling units where Uzodinma led were not included in the original results.

 

Uzodinma, who came a distant fourth position in the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was declared winner of the poll in a unanimous decision by a seven-person panel which Kekere-Ekun was a part of.

 

As CJN, she will oversee the selection of judges who will hear and rule on any legal challenges arising from the 2027 general election.

 

She was also among the judges who sat on the hijab (head cover) controversy between the Lagos state government & others v. Asiyat Abdulkareem. The apex court overruled Lagos on its restriction of the use of hijab by female Muslim students of public schools in the state.

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‘NIGERIANS SHOULD EMBRACE CHANGE’

Speaking in July 2016 during a public lecture with stakeholders in the legal profession, Kekere-Ekun said some Nigerians clamour for change but want “business as usual”.

 

She urged Nigerians to be ready to embrace and accept change when they see it, even if it does not appeal to their interests.

 

She also stressed the need for members of the judiciary to uphold the ethics of the profession and earn the trust of the people.

 

“As laudable as the objectives of this lecture are, nothing meaningful would be achieved unless we were sincerely ready to embrace change. I say this because this is the platform on which the present government was selected. We all say we want change but when signs of change are coming, we don’t seem to be comfortable with it. Many of us still want business as usual,” Kekere-Ekun said.

 

“Once the public loses confidence in the judiciary, the society will descend into chaos and anarchy. When there is a lack of confidence in the judiciary, it affects the nation’s ability to attract foreign direct investment which the country sorely needs at this time.

 

“It has an adverse effect on every aspect of our existence. As individual stakeholders, we must do our bit to improve access to justice in Nigeria. As judges, we must exercise our judicial powers in a fair, honest, transparent, efficient and effective manner without fear or favour.”

 

Kekere-Ekun is a life bencher and member of the International Association of Women Judges.

 

Beyond the courtroom, the jurist takes pleasure in reading, information technology and counselling.

 

All things being equal, Kekere-Ekun will be Nigeria’s CNJ for the next four years until May May 7, 2028, when she is due for retirement.

She is married to Akin Kekere-Ekun and blessed with three children.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Obi campaign: OK Movement tackles NDC, Obidients

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1. A fresh disagreement has emerged within the political groups backing Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential ambition, as the United Kingdom Coordinator of the OK Movement, Adebayo Brown, accused leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council and the Obidient Movement of fuelling divisions among supporters.

The accusation followed a disagreement over claims that Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had dissociated themselves from the OK Movement.

2. Southwest All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders yesterday resolved to mobilise the six states to give an overwhelming number of votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the January 16  election. The leaders, who met in Lagos, decided to work assiduously to deliver votes that will surpass what the President got in the 2023 election i

3. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State. The commission said the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence and surveillance on the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners.

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4. The National Youth Service Corps has identified four irregularities in a certificate linked to former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, insisting that the document was not issued by the corps. An Assistant Director in the NYSC Department of Certification, Yusuf Jumare, disclosed this on Tuesday while testifying as the second prosecution witness in the alleged certificate forgery and money laundering case against Nnaji before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

5. The National Assembly is set to transmit the proposed State Police Bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent after completing the authentication of approvals secured from 28 state Houses of Assembly. The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, confirming that the number of state legislatures that had approved the proposed constitutional amendment exceeded the constitutionally required threshold of 24 states.

6. The Ondo State Police Command has uncovered a suspected counterfeit currency production site in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, arresting one suspect and recovering three bags of suspected fake United States dollar notes. The command said the operation took place on October 29 at Kiniso Village, via Ajue, following investigations into a complaint by a man who allegedly received counterfeit dollars from two men during a currency exchange transaction.

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7. The Department of State Services, DSS, has dismissed allegations by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that it is organising protests to disrupt political activities in Sokoto State. The Service said its operatives had been providing security protection to political candidates across party lines, citing the evacuation of the ADC governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Mannir Daniya, during an attack on October 31, 2026.

8. The African Democratic Congress has kept the venue of its presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State secret ahead of Wednesday’s kickoff, citing security concerns amid allegations of attempts to disrupt the event. The party said it was taking precautionary measures to avoid being caught unawares, following reports of a possible plot to frustrate the rally scheduled for November 4.

9. The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a suspected high-tech indoor cannabis farm at a residential property in Apapa, Lagos State, arresting a Polish national and a Nigerian in connection with the discovery. It was learnt that the suspects were identified as Thomas Razvickas, 49, a Polish national, and James Chisome, 36, a Nigerian. Both reportedly reside at the property where the facility was discovered.

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10. The Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi has set free and approved an initial payment of N20 million to four suspects, out of which each suspect is to receive five million Naira as compensation after being cleared of alleged membership of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

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Tinubu deserves credit for bringing Nigeria back from the brink, says Emir Sanusi 

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The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said that President Bola Tinubu deserves credit for bringing Nigeria’s economy back from the brink, citing improvements in economic growth, inflation, foreign reserves, and export diversification.

Emir Sanusi, who gave the commendation while speaking on Tuesday at the Oxford Global Think Tank conference convened by Arunma Oteh, said the country is beginning to lay the foundations for economic stability, although significant challenges remain.

“I’m not a fan of politicians, but we need to give credit to President Tinubu’s administration for bringing us back from the brink,” he said.

Sanusi, a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, said the economy grew by 4.48 percent in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, describing the performance as progress compared with the average growth recorded during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“GDP in Q2 2026 was at 4.48 percent. It’s not as high as it was under the Yar’Adua/Jonathan government, but during the Buhari years, the economy grew by 0.9 percent. Today it’s at 4.5 percent. That’s progress,” he said.

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Sanusi also noted the decline in inflation from about 30 percent to 14.6 percent, adding that it was projected to fall to 12.5 percent by the end of the year.

He said Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, measured in dollar terms, had increased by 47 percent since 2023.

According to the emir, “If we continue at this rate, by the end of next year, GDP per capita will be back to where it was in 2005”.

He also cited the country’s foreign reserves, which he put at $55 billion, but cautioned that a significant portion of the inflows was driven by foreign portfolio investments (FPI), which are volatile.

He attributed the continued inflows partly to high oil prices amid the war in the Strait of Hormuz and the attractive returns available to investors in Nigeria.

“Our reserves are at $55 billion, and yes, a lot of it is driven by portfolio flows, which are volatile,” he said.

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He said high oil prices and returns on Nigerian investments have encouraged foreign investors to maintain their exposure to the country.

On diversification, Sanusi said “20 percent of Nigeria’s exports were coming from the Dangote refinery”, describing the development as evidence of progress beyond the country’s traditional export sources.

“There are clearly foundations being laid for stability. It’s not the end, but the first step towards stability,” he said.

The emir, however, criticised the Tinubu administration’s communication of its economic policies, saying the government appeared to interpret criticism and suggestions as attacks.

“This government doesn’t express itself properly. It sees every suggestion and contribution it does not like as an attack, and it doesn’t have good spokespersons,” he said.

Despite his reservations about the government’s communication, Sanusi said the administration deserved recognition for the economic gains recorded so far.

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EFCC uncovers illegal oil refinery in Ogun

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its operatives have uncovered an illegal oil refinery operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance of the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners.

Oyewale said the facility was deserted when operatives stormed the premises, following an earlier crackdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.

The operatives discovered waste products from the refining process and underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.

According to the statement, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission uncovered an illegal oil refinery operated by Chinese in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

“The operation, conducted on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, followed credible intelligence and surveillance by the Commission on the activities of the illegal sludge oil refiners.

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“The refinery was found deserted when EFCC operatives stormed the premises, following the Commission’s earlier clampdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area. However, waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location.”

Oyewale said operatives also discovered underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.

“Two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and transported it to the illegal facility in Ogere for processing,” Oyewale added.

He said the operators subjected the sludge oil to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through chambers and filters in a process believed to produce diesel for sale in the Nigerian market.

“Personnel at the facility told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities nor the name of the company behind the facility.

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“Consequently, operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC have since taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators, the ownership of the facility and the full extent of the suspected illegal activities and economic sabotage,” he added.

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