Abai Ikwechegh

Justice Abai Ikwechegh (OFR) is a Nigerian jurist. He was born in September 1923 in Igbere, in the Eastern part of Nigeria, to Chief Ogbonnaya Ikwechegh, a slave merchant and trader and Oyiri Ikwechegh He began early schooling in Igbere and then later attended the Hope Waddell Training Institute in Calabar. He taught briefly at Owo in Western Nigeria and in Western Boys High School in Benin City and Enitona College in Portharcourt. In 1950, he embarked on a journey to England to study law. In 1955, he qualified as a lawyer and was called to the English bar in the same year. He was of the Lincolns Inn barrister at Law He practiced briefly at Aba in Eastern Nigeria and in 1959 set up practice in Jos in Northern Nigeria. He was appointed a Magistrate in 1962. He was notable as a chief Magistrate for policing roads and arresting reckless taxi drivers and trying them himself. This pitched him against authorities and left many wondering if this was not abuse of judicial powers. In 1972, he was appointed a Judge of the East Central State of Nigeria. And later became Judge of the Imo State judiciary and acted severally as the Chief Judge of the State. In 1982, he was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal. He declined this appointment but later buckled under pressure. He thereafter served and retired voluntarily from the Court of Appeal, in 1988. During his career as judge, he headed many Panels, tribunals and Commissions of Inquiry. In 1977, he was appointed by the Federal Military Government to the Land Acquisition Control Tribunal. He also headed the Imo State Chieftaincy Panel in 1978, known as the Ikwechegh Panel which had laid down guidelines for government recognition of Traditional Rulers. He also served as the first chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede from January 1977 to June 1980. He also served as the Chairman of the Governing council of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri from January 1991 to November 1992. He was succeeded by Professor M.O. Ijere. He is a devout Christian and an Elder of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, who will unabashedly declare both in open court as a Judge and in formal gathering of his conviction in the supremacy and healing power of God and as the only hope of redemption for mankind. He holds the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.