Sankey’s Confirmation Signals Hope Despite Judiciary’s Problems — Odinkalu

The former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu has highlighted the inspirational personal story of Justice Jummai Hannatu Sankey, one of the 11 justices confirmed on Thursday by the Senate for the Supreme Court.

In a Twitter thread, Odinkalu described 56-year-old Justice Sankey as a “testament to resilience of the human spirit” having overcome family tragedies.

He recounted how her father, a military officer, was killed in the 1966 coup when she was just six years old. Earlier this year, unknown gunmen assassinated her husband, a former official of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

Despite these losses, Justice Sankey persevered in her legal career, rising to become the first female judge from Northern Nigeria’s Plateau State. She will now sit on the apex court as its second most senior member.

For Odinkalu, Justice Sankey “exemplifies the reality that you cannot put a good person down even in a bad system.” Even though Nigeria’s judiciary has many problems, her confirmation indicates values and resilience can sometimes prevail, he argued.

Many celebrated the landmark confirmation of the female jurist on social media while legal experts hope it signals better fortunes for the justice system.