CJN Honours Retiring Justice Abba Aji at Valedictory Session

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, GCON, has paid tribute to retiring Supreme Court Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji, JSC, CFR, acknowledging her decades of judicial service and contributions to the advancement of women in the Nigerian Judiciary.

The tribute was delivered on Friday, November 6, 2026, during a valedictory court session held in honour of Justice Abba Aji at the Main Court Room of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

In her address, the Chief Justice reflected on Justice Abba Aji’s distinguished judicial career, which spanned several decades and took her through different levels of the Nigerian judicial hierarchy, from the Magistracy and High Court to the Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court.

She particularly acknowledged her historic appointment as the first female Judge of the High Court of Yobe State, her leadership in the National Association of Women Judges Nigeria (NAWJN), and her contributions to the welfare of judicial officers.

The Chief Justice also described Justice Abba Aji’s career as an inspiration to women in the legal profession, noting that her professional journey had helped create opportunities and possibilities for subsequent generations of female judicial officers.

Below is the full address delivered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria:

ADDRESS BY HON. JUSTICE KUDIRAT MOTONMORI OLATOKUNBO KEKERE-EKUN, GCON CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA ON:

THE OCCASION OF THE VALEDICTORY COURT SESSION IN HONOUR OF HON. JUSTICE UWANI MUSA ABBA AJI, JSC, CFR

There are some judicial careers that can be adequately described by the offices held and the years spent in service. There are others whose significance goes beyond the positions occupied. The career of Hon. Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji, JSC, CFR belongs to the latter category.

For many of us, particularly the women who have entered the Nigerian Judiciary in more recent years, Hon. Justice Abba-Aji’s career is part of the story of how the place of women in our Judiciary has evolved. Long before the presence of women on the Bench became as familiar as it is today, she was already serving, quietly establishing a record of competence and service.

Born in Gashua, Yobe State, on the 7th day of November 1956, Hon. Justice Abba Aji’s journey into the legal profession began at a time when the professional landscape was very different from what we know today. She obtained a Diploma in Law and subsequently a Bachelor of Laws degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1981. However, her association with the Judiciary had begun even earlier.

As far back as 1973, she had entered judicial service in Borno State, serving in various administrative capacities as a Clerical Assistant, Assistant Registrar, Acting Registrar and Higher Registrar. Those early years gave her an understanding of the Judiciary from its administrative foundations, an experience that would remain relevant throughout her subsequent career.

Following her call to the Bar, Hon. Justice Abba Aji served as Senior State Counsel and thereafter joined the lower bench in 1986. She progressed through the Magistracy, becoming a Senior Magistrate and subsequently Chief Magistrate. In November 1991, she became Chief Registrar of the High Court of Yobe State. A month later, she was appointed a Judge of the High Court of the State. That appointment is remarkable as she became the first female Judge in the history of Yobe State.

Hon. Justice Abba Aji’s career has been a form of mentorship, even where no formal mentor-mentee relationship existed. A young woman who has witnessed her rise through the ranks of the Judiciary from the Magistracy to the High Court, the Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court could draw inspiration from her example.

This is one of the quieter forms of mentorship: a situation where we teach without knowing that we are teaching; where our careers speak to people we have never met.

Hon. Justice Abba Aji’s career is an eloquent testimony of hard work, discipline and a deep knowledge of the law. Her career embodies dedicated service in both judicial and administrative capacities in Borno and Yobe States, participation in important public assignments, including the Mobile Traffic Court and Judicial Commissions of Inquiry. She also served in leadership positions within the Magistrates’ Association of Nigeria.

On the 22nd day of September, 2004, Hon. Justice Abba Aji was sworn in as a Justice of the Court of Appeal. Her years at the Court of Appeal took her through several Divisions including Benin and Abuja, and included service as Presiding Justice in Ekiti, Owerri and Kaduna. She also served on Election Petition Tribunals, undertaking the difficult responsibility of adjudicating disputes arising from our electoral process.

Perhaps one of the most enduring aspects of Hon. Justice Abba Aji’s public service has been her commitment to the advancement of women within the legal profession and the Judiciary. Her leadership roles in the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria and particularly, her service as President of the National Association of Women Judges Nigeria (NAWJN), demonstrate that her interest in the progress of women was not merely incidental to her career.

She contributed to creating a space in which other women could find their voices and assume positions of leadership.

This makes today’s occasion especially meaningful for NAWJN. The Association is, in many respects, part of the institutional legacy of women such as Hon. Justice Abba Aji.

The women judges who occupy judicial office today do so in an environment that has been shaped by the courage and perseverance of earlier generations.

On the 8th day of January, 2019, Hon. Justice Abba Aji was elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Her arrival at the apex Court represented the culmination of a journey that had taken her through every level of the Nigerian judicial hierarchy.

Since joining this Court, she has brought to its deliberations the perspective of a Judge whose experience has been formed by different courts, different responsibilities and different generations of judicial officers.

Her years on the Bench have been marked by an unblemished record of service, integrity and fidelity to the judicial oath. In the discharge of her adjudicatory responsibilities, she has contributed to the development of our jurisprudence through numerous well-considered judgments that reflect careful appraisal of the law and the facts before the Court.

I am confident that these judgments will continue to provide valuable guidance and will stand the test of time.

There is, however, another dimension of her service that deserves particular recognition: her genuine concern for the welfare of others. Her service as Chairperson of the Justices’ Welfare Committee at the Court of Appeal and, subsequently, at this Court, provided an opportunity to translate that concern into practical action.

In both capacities, Hon. Justice Abba Aji worked towards improving the welfare and working conditions of Justices and other members of the Court community. Her commitment reflected an appreciation that those who devote their professional lives to the service of justice also deserve an institution that recognises and supports their needs.

This concern for colleagues and staff alike is an important part of her legacy and one that will be remembered and appreciated for years to come.

Her national contribution to the development of the law and administration of justice has been formally recognised by the conferment of the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, CFR, and by her appointment as a Life Bencher in 2018.

Yet, as I often say, the most meaningful measure of a judicial career is rarely found in the honours attached to one’s name. It is found in the work done, the confidence earned and the people influenced along the way.

In the case of Hon. Justice Abba Aji, there is a further measure: the number of women who can look at her career and believe that the highest levels of judicial leadership and responsibility are within their grasp.

There is, of course, another chapter now beginning. Retirement will bring an end to the formal responsibilities of judicial office, but it does not bring an end to the value of experience. There will still be opportunities to teach, to write, to encourage, to mentor and perhaps most importantly, to continue to serve as an example to those who are still finding their way. I have no doubt that Your Lordship will continue to do so.

On behalf of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the entire Judiciary and the Nigerian legal profession, I thank you, My Lord, for your years of service to our Nation.

We thank you for the path you have walked and just as importantly, for the paths that became possible because you walked it.

To your family, a career of this length and intensity is never sustained by the judicial officer alone. Families make sacrifices, provide support and bear the demands that accompany public service. Your contribution to the admirable journey is acknowledged and sincerely appreciated. THANK YOU!

My Lord, as you take your leave of the Supreme Court, I hope you do so with the satisfaction of knowing that your career has mattered. It has mattered to the Judiciary, to the legal profession and in a particularly important way, to the women who have followed your example.

You came into the Judiciary when there were few women on the Bench. You leave at a time when women occupy positions of significant responsibility throughout the judicial hierarchy.

May Almighty God grant you many more years in good health, peace and fulfilment. May He bless your family and grant you the opportunity to enjoy the many interests and pursuits that judicial office may have required you to place in the background.

As you take your final bow from this Court, may you be assured that the path you have travelled will remain visible and a guide to those who come after you.

Thank you for your service.

Thank you for your kind attention and may God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, GCON

Chief Justice of Nigeria

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