The funeral of the late Joseph Chukwuma Otteh, renowned human rights advocate and founder of Access to Justice (A2J), will take place on June 20, 2025, in his hometown of Okporo, Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State. Otteh passed away in Lagos on March 28, 2025, leaving behind a legacy deeply rooted in legal reform and social justice.

While the interment will be held in Imo State, the majority of the funeral activities are scheduled to take place in Lagos, where the late activist spent most of his professional life.

Joseph Otteh is survived by his wife, Mrs. Ogechi Chuma-Otteh, three young children, and his elderly mother. His death marks the end of an era in Nigeria’s legal activism space, where he was widely respected for his unwavering commitment to judicial integrity and civil rights.

Otteh was the inaugural recipient of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Gani Fawehinmi Award for Social Justice and Human Rights in 2010, a recognition jointly awarded to him and his organisation, A2J. A Global Public Service Law Scholar at New York University (NYU), Otteh earned Master’s degrees in Law from both NYU and the University of Lagos.

He also served as a Visiting Researcher at the Danish Centre for Human Rights and authored several impactful works, including Fading Lights of Justice and Litigating in the Public Interest.

His scholarship extended beyond Nigeria, having consulted for prestigious institutions such as the British Government’s Justice for All (J4A) programme, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), the Nigerian Bar Association, the European Union’s Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).

In a heartfelt statement, his wife, Mrs. Ogechi Chuma-Otteh, called on friends, colleagues, and well-wishers to send in tributes in celebration of her husband’s life and work. Tributes should be sent to cewednigeria@yahoo.com by May 10, 2025, to allow adequate time for compilation and printing.

She requested that all tributes include:

  • Full Name
  • Designation or Relationship (where applicable)
  • Organisation or Association (where applicable)
  • Location

“We invite you to share your tributes and memories in honour of his legacy,” she wrote. “Your reflections will be invaluable in celebrating his life, character, and the impact he made on all who knew him.”

As the legal and civil society communities prepare to honour Joseph Otteh’s life, his legacy remains a beacon for justice reform in Nigeria and beyond.

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