Veteran Nigerian Lawyer Richard Akinjide Is Dead

Veteran Nigerian lawyer Richard Akinjide is dead.

NewsOne Nigeria reports that the death of Richard Akinjide, a famous legal Luminary and Minister for Justice in the government of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, was announced in the wee hours of today, Tuesday, April 21 on Social media network, Facebook by Senator Babafemi Ojudu.

Senator Ojudu wrote on his Facebook page: “Richard Akinjide (SAN) politician, former minister just passed on. RIP,” the Nigerian lawmaker wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile, NewsOne Nigeria reports that late Akinjide was a former minister of education in the government of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa during the first republic and the minister for Justice in the administration of President Shehu Shagari in the second republic.

Late Richard Akinjide who was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was a member of the judicial systems sub-committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1975-1977 and later joined the National Party of Nigeria in 1978. He became the legal adviser for the party and was later appointed the Minister for Justice.

The deceased travelled to the UK in 1951 for his higher education and was called to the English Bar in 1955 and later in Nigeria. He established his practice of Akinjide & Co soon after. He also served as a chieftain in the Olubadan of Ibadan’s court of clan nobles.

NewsOne Nigeria reports that it was under his watch as Attorney General of the Federation that Nigeria temporarily reversed executions of armed robbers. The Abolition of a decree barring exiles from returning to the country.

Late Richard Akinjide was the lead prosecutor in the treason trial of Bukar Zanna Mandara. The eviction of many illegal foreign nationals from Nigeria which contributed to mild violence against some foreigners in the country, an event which also exposed some weaknesses within the West African economic community.