Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, has said that all his judgments during his time on the bench were delivered without bias or external influence, adding that his conscience remains clear.
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In an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH in Lagos, the retired jurist said he was guided by the fear of God throughout his judicial career.
He said, “I handled cases strictly on merit throughout my judicial career. I also served as Chairman of the Armed Robbery Tribunal for about three years at the trial court, where I delivered judgments based on evidence and the law, without bias. Those deserving of conviction were sentenced, and those who should be freed were discharged. I did so with a clear conscience and without regret.”
Ariwoola, who served as Chief Justice of Nigeria between 2022 and 2024, recalled his earlier postings to election petition tribunals in Zamfara and Enugu states in 1999, and later to election appeal courts in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Yola, and Ilorin. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2005 and to the Supreme Court in 2011.
Responding to questions on allegations of religious persecution and Christian genocide in Nigeria, the former CJN dismissed such claims, insisting that the country’s security challenges are not rooted in religion.
He said, “The Boko Haram issue is not religious. Kidnapping and terrorism have nothing to do with religion. I attend church when I can. My eldest sister, from the same mother, was a Baptist, and I used to go to church with her. There is no Christian song I cannot sing with them. Neither Christians nor Muslims should be against each other because our God is a God of peace.”
Ariwoola called on Nigerians to promote unity and mutual understanding, saying peace and justice can only thrive in a society free of religious or ethnic divisions.
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