Innocent Azubike Umezulike (21 September 1953 – 11 June 2018) was a Nigerian

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Un ...

who served as the chief judge of

Enugu State Enugu State ( ig, Ȯra Enugu) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the south, and Anambra State to the west. T ...

for over 13 years. He remains the longest-serving chief judge in South-Eastern Nigeria, and second longest-serving chief judge in Nigeria.

Education

Innocent Azubike Umezulike was born on 21 September 1953 in

Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa I ...

, southern

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...

. He went to St. Vincent Secondary School, where he obtained his

West African School Certificate The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is a type of standardized test in West Africa. Students who pass the exam receive a certificate confirming their graduation from secondary education. It is administered by the West Af ...

in 1971. He then attended the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...

, graduating with a bachelor's degree in law in 1976.

Career

He joined the

Nigerian Television Authority The Nigerian Television Authority or NTA is a Nigerian government-owned and partly commercial broadcast station. Originally known as Nigerian Television (NTV), it was inaugurated in 1977 with a monopoly on national television broadcasting, after ...

as an assistant legal adviser to the corporation. He was admitted to the

Nigerian Bar Association The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is a non-profit, umbrella professional association of all lawyers admitted to the bar in Nigeria. It is engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights, the rule of law and good governance in Nigeria. ...

in 1980. In 1983, Umezulike joined the

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 1962 ...

's faculty of law before joining

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, also called UNIZIK or NAU in short is a federal university in Nigeria. It consists of two campuses in Anambra State. Its main campus is in Awka (the capital of Anambra State), while its other campus is in Nnewi ...

, where he began as a senior lecturer in 1987 and became an associate professor in 1992. In August 1993, he was appointed Judge of Enugu State, prior to which he became the state's Chief Judge; after four years of service, he was nominated to serve in the

Supreme Court of the Gambia The Supreme Court of the Gambia is a superior court of record and the highest court in The Gambia. Established in 1851, it has appellate and original jurisdiction over any law exceeding the powers conferred by the Constitution or any law upon th ...

. He was also appointed chairman of the Failed Banks Tribunal Zone 6 Nigeria. Throughout his career, Umezulike served in various positions at public and private institutions, including as a senior special adviser to the Attorney General of Nigeria prior to his appointment as an Enugu State judge. He also authored and published over 23 books on

conveyancing In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of real property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien. A typical conveyancing transaction has two major phases: the exchange of contr ...

adverse possession Adverse possession, sometimes colloquially described as "squatter's rights", is a legal principle in the Anglo-American common law under which a person who does not have legal title to a piece of property—usually land (real property)—may a ...

, and

land Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isl ...

and property law throughout his career. Umezulike died at a hospital in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

on 11 June 2018. The Hon. Justice Innocent Umezulike Foundation, set up after his death, held a memorial lecture at the Justice I.A Umezulike Auditorium, Enugu State High Court complex in September 2019, marking the first anniversary of his death with a presentation of the book ''Hon. Justice Innocent Umezulike: A Chronicle of Leading Judgements Volume 1''.

Honours

Order of the Federal Republic (civil) - Nigeria - ribbon bar

Order of the Federal Republic The Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger. The highest honours where the Grand Commander in the Order of the Federal R ...

of Nigeria

References

External links

The Hon. Justice Innocent Umezulike Foundation
– Official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Umezulike, Innocent 1953 births 2018 deaths Nigerian judges Nigerian jurists Rivers State lawyers University of Lagos alumni Academic staff of the University of Ibadan Academic staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nigerian academics Members of the Order of the Federal Republic People from Enugu State