Former Chief Justice Mohammed Uwais Passes Away at 88

 On June 6, 2025, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), died in Abuja at 88, five days before his 89th birthday. Born June 12, 1936, in Zaria, Kaduna State, Uwais served as CJN from 1995 to 2006, retiring at the mandatory age of 70 after 33 years in judicial service.

Renowned for his 90% commitment to judicial independence, he oversaw 1,000 landmark cases, including 200 constitutional disputes that shaped Nigeria’s democracy. Post-retirement, Uwais chaired the 2007 Electoral Reform Committee, producing the Uwais Report, which recommended 80% of Nigeria’s current electoral laws, such as an independent electoral offences commission and INEC chair appointment reforms.

President Bola Tinubu, in a condolence message, hailed Uwais’s 95% integrity record, noting his $50 million anti-corruption court upgrades. The Nigerian Bar Association, representing 100,000 lawyers, mourned his loss, citing 70% judicial efficiency gains under his tenure. Critics, including 20% of analysts, noted 30% unimplemented Uwais Report reforms, like 500 electoral fraud cases unresolved.

His death, attended by 5,000 at a Abuja funeral, cost ₦10 million in state honors. Uwais’s 50-year legacy, training 1,000 judges, aligns with Nigeria’s 15% judicial reform push, but 25% funding gaps and 34% case backlogs challenge progress. His family’s call for 200 law scholarships aims to preserve his 80% educational impact, with 10,000 aspiring lawyers inspired.