Olabode Rhodes-Vivour has retired
as a justice of the supreme court having reached the age of 70.
The number of justices of the
apex court rose from 12 to 20 in November 2020 after President Muhammadu Buhari
approved the appointment of eight justices.
However, with the death of
Sylvester Ngwuta on March 7, and Rhodes-Vivour’s retirement the number of
justices in the apex court has further reduced to 18 as against the
constitutionally required number of 21.
Born on March 22, 1951,
Rhodes-Vivour was appointed a high court judge on February 18, 1994.
He was elevated to the bench of
the court of appeal on April 25, 2005.
In 2008 on secondment by the
federal government, he was posted to Sierra Leone judiciary as a justice of the
supreme court of Sierra Leone.
On his return to Nigeria, he was
appointed as a justice of the supreme court on September 16, 2010.
With Rhodes-Vivour’s retirement,
Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili becomes the second most senior justice of the apex
court after the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).
At the valedictory court session
held in his honour on Monday, Ibrahim Muhammad (CJN) described the retired
justice as one who is “physically energetic and never gets frightened by any
form of challenges”.
“His amiable disposition and
reticent outlook have literally made him a gentle tiger in the temple of
justice,” the CJN said
Rhodes-Vivour, who ascribed his
success to God, said he was never absent from duty over ill health in all his
years as a judge.
“I have a testimony, not once was
I ever absent from work as a judge due to illness. I did have health
challenges, but they were resolved during vacation. All medical procedures were
uneventful,” he said
“It is with humility that I have
and will continue to give thanks praise and glory to the almighty God. The Lord
has been good to me, and I will forever be thankful.”
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