‘Dependable father-figure to all’ – Supreme Court mourns Justice Nweze

The Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) has mourned the death of one of its justices, Centus Chima Nweze.

Justice Nweze passed away on Saturday.

In an official statement confirming the death of the jurist, the apex court said that the death was sudden and painful.

A statement by the Director of Press and Information of the Court, Festus Akande, read in part, “It is with heart full of grief that we announce the sudden death of our amiable brother and colleague, Hon. Justice Chima Centus Nweze, JSC, on Saturday, July 29, 2023, after a brief illness.

“Justice Nweze was born in Obollo, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, on September 25, 1958.

” He had his LLB (Hons), LLM and PhD in Law at the prestigious University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus in 1983, 1995 and 2001, respectively.

“He was also a recipient of LL.D. Degree; and was an Associate Professor of Law at Ebonyi State University and a Visiting Professor of Law, Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

“His Lordship was a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Enugu State, from 1995 to 2007; Justice of the Court of Appeal from 2008 to 2014; and was elevated to the Supreme Court Bench on 29 October, 2014, where he served until his death.

“Hon. Justice Chima Nweze gave a sterling account of himself in the discharge of his official duties at the Supreme Court.

“He had largely made himself a pliable legal personality that had diligently sunk a pool of enduring legal knowledge and experience in all his judicial pronouncements.

“He had been a formidable ally of his brother Justices, an admirable pillar of support to the staff and management of the Supreme Court; and indeed, a dependable father-figure to all.

“It will be an understatement to say we are all going to miss him dearly. Funeral arrangements would be announced by the family in due course,” the statement said.