‘Landmark verdict on jurisdiction strengthened jurisprudence’

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has attributed the role of the verdict of the late Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji Abadua to the development of Nigeria’s jurisprudence.

Justice Dongban-Mensem spoke during the valedictory session in honour of the late Justice Orji-Abadua in Abuja.

She said, “His lordship (Justice Orji-Abadua), expounding on the jurisdiction of a court to hear and determine an action in the case of Bako vs Ila and others (2013) LPELR-22689 (CA) opined as follows: ‘It is trite that jurisdiction is the livewire of any adjudicative body. It is the official power of the court to make legal decisions and judgements.’”

Similarly, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), extolled the qualities of Justice Orji-Abadua, recalling that her “judgements and legal pronouncements were also characterised by meticulous analysis of the facts of each case.”

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The Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Paul Usoro, bemoaned the loss of the services of the late justice of the Court of Appeal to the bench.

He noted that apart from her four children, the jurist’s judgements immortalised her, adding that, “My lord’s erudition and focus on nation-building shone through those judgements.”