By Charles Igbo
After a brilliant, fruitful decades of service to her fatherland, the beautiful Justice of the Supreme Court, Honourable Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, is retiring from the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
She will retire on May 12, 2022, the day she will be 70 years old, the retiring age for Supreme Court Judges.
Married to a Medical Doctor-turned politician, Dr Peter Odili, CON, former two-term Governor of Rivers State, the beautiful and elegant Justice Peter-Odili does not look anywhere near 70 years. She looks like somebody in her early 60’s.
Born to the family of Nzenwa of Amuzi Obizi Ezinihitte Mbaise, Imo State, she followed in her father’s footstep and read Law at the Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and graduated in 1976. It was there that she met her heartthrob, a medical student, Peter Odili, a native of Rivers State.
She was called to the bar in 1977, and has never looked back since then, not even in the eight years she was the First Lady of Rivers State. She, like the late Court of Appeal Judge, Honourable Justice Atinuke Ige, late Bola Ige’s wife, effortlessly combined both, and carefully avoided political cases. Justice Ige, as the First Lady of Oyo State, got on with her career as a Judge.
Just like Justice Peter-Odili followed in the footsteps of her father, two of her daughters, Chinelo Odili and Njideka Iheme-Nwosu,(nee Odili) also followed in her footsteps. While Chinelo is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court, Njideka is a Judge of the FCT High Court.
On her retirement day, respected elder Statesman, and Legal luminary, Professor Ben Nwabuze, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, will deliver a valedictory address on behalf of the Body of SANs.
A letter to Nwabueze signed by the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, asking him to take up the role, reads: “On behalf of my humble self and brother Justices of the Supreme Court, I cordially invite Your Honor to deliver an address at the Valedictory, on behalf of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
Hon. Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, was born on the 12 May, 1952.
She attended St Benedict’s Primary School, Obizi Ezinihitte, St Michael’s Primary School, Umuahia, St Agnes Primary School, Maryland, Lagos and Our Lady of Apostles Primary School, Yaba, Lagos between 1959 and 1965.
She also attended various Secondary Schools including Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Yaba, Owerri Girls Secondary School, Owerri, Mbaise Girls Secondary School, Mbaise and the Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha between 1965 and 1972.
She proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Enugu Campus) and obtained her Bachelor’’s Degree in Law (LL.B (Hons)) in 1976 and the Nigerian Law School in 1977 for her B.L certificate.
Her previous professional appointments/positions include:
*Pupil State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Abeokuta, Ogun State (1977 – 1978)
*Pupil State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Benin, Bendel State (1978)
*Magistrate Grade III, Benin, Bendel State (1978 -1979)
*Chairman, Juvenile Court, Benin, Bendel State (1978 – 1979)
*Magistrate Grade II, Rivers State(1979 – 1981)
*Chairman, Juvenile Court, Rivers State (1979 – 1981)
*Magistrate Grade I
*Chief Magistrate Grade I (1981 – 1992)
*Judge, High Court of Rivers State (1992 – 2004)
*Justice, Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division (2004 – 2010)
*Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division (2010 – 2011)
She was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (JSC) on June, 23, 2011.
A mother of four and doting grand mother of many, Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili holds the National Honour of the Commander Federal Republic (CFR).
