Justice Samuel Chukwudumebi Oseji of the Supreme Court of Nigeria is dead.
Oseji, who has been less than one year on the apex court bench, hails from Idumuje-Unor, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, born on June 2, 1954 and died on Monday.
He died in Abuja at the age of 67 years after a protracted illness, details of which could not be immediately ascertained.
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, had to visit him at an unnamed hospital about two weeks ago, an official of the court revealed.
His death brings the number of Justices of the Supreme Court to 17.
Oseji who attended Saint Patrick’s College, Asaba, Delta State, graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1984 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985.
After working as a magistrate and rose through the ranks to become Chief Magistrate Grade I, he was appointed Deputy Chief Registrar in 1996. He was appointed Chief Registrar of the Delta State High Court in 1997.
He was appointed a judge of the High Court of Justice, Delta State in 1998, and elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2010. While on the Court of Appeal Court bench, he served in Enugu, Lagos and Benin divisions of the court before his elevation to the apex court last year.
He was among the eight Justices of the Court of Appeal elevated to the Supreme Court bench in November 2020. And sworn in to the apex court bench by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Muhammad, on November 6, 2020.
Justice Oseji, who is married with children, has been serving in that capacity until his death on Tuesday.
