Truth And Justice Above All: Ariwoola Opens Up About His Tenure As CJN

Olukayode Ariwoola, the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (2022–2024), has affirmed that his judicial decisions were rendered impartially and with a clear conscience.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Ariwoola’s judicial career spans decades, including service on Election Petition Tribunals in Zamfara and Enugu states in 1999, as well as on Election Appeal Courts in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Yola, and Ilorin. He was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal in 2005 and elevated to Justice of the Supreme Court in 2011.

In an interview with PUNCH, Ariwoola stated that his rulings were always grounded in merit and legal evidence, without bias or personal influence.

“I handled cases strictly on merit throughout my judicial career. I also served as Chairman of the Armed Robbery Tribunal for about three years at the trial court, delivering judgments based on evidence and the law. Those deserving conviction were sentenced, and those who should be freed were discharged. I did so with a clear conscience and without regret,” he said.

On the issue of alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, Ariwoola stressed that insecurity transcends religion and ethnicity, calling for national unity.

“The Boko Haram issue is not religious. Kidnapping and terrorism have nothing to do with religion. I attend church when I can; my eldest sister, from the same mother, is a Baptist, and I used to go to church with her. There is no Christian song I cannot sing. Neither Christians nor Muslims should be against each other because our God is a God of peace,” he added.