The Supreme Court has confirmed the death of one of its judges, Justice Centus Nweze.

This is contained in a statement issued by Festus Akande, the apex court spokesman, on Monday.

Mr Nweze was said to have died on Sunday after a brief illness at 64.

With his demise, the South-East has no justice at the Supreme Court.

Mr Nweze, a native of Obollo, Udenu LGA in Enugu, was born on September 25, 1958.

A Roman Catholic, he married Justice Ugonne Jacinta Nweze of the Enugu judiciary.

He had five children and a grandchild.

He attended St John Cross Seminary, Nsukka, from 1972 to 1977, emerging with a Distinction in the West African School Certificate Examination [WASCE]. 

Between 1979 and 1983, he was an undergraduate student at the University of Nigeria, Enugu.

In 1983, he represented the Faculty of Law, and all Nigerian law faculties, at the Phillip Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington DC, as the chief oralist. 

Upon his graduation in 1983, [LL. B. (Hons) (Nig.)], he proceeded to the Nigeria Law School from 1983 to 1984, where he obtained the qualifying Certificate, [BL]. He did his NYSC between 1984 and 1985 in Bauchi.

Subsequently, he returned to the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, between 1993 and 1995, where he studied for and obtained the Master of Laws Certificate [LL. M]. 

Between 1997 and 2001, he studied for and achieved a doctorate at the same university.

Having practised at the Bar from 1985 to 1995, he was elevated to the high court Bench of Enugu State in November 1995.

While on the Bench, he served as chairman of the second robbery and firearms tribunal, Enugu, 1996 to 1998; chairman of the robbery and firearms tribunal, Nsukka, 1998 to 1999; member of the Ondo LG election petition tribunal, 1999; chairman of the Ogun governorship and legislative election petition tribunal, 1999; administrative judge at the Nsukka Judicial Division, Enugu in 2001.

He was appointed a justice of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria on February 15, 2008, and served until October 2014, when he was finally elevated to Nigeria’s apex court as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on October 29, 2014.

He was on the Bench of the Supreme Court from October 2014 until his demise. Mr Nweze served in various capacities in extrajudicial vocational activities.

(NAN)