PROFILE: Hon. Justice James Omo-Agege (1933–2016)–The No-Nonsense Judge

-

By Victor Olubiye


Justice James Omo-Agege was a no-nonsense and courageous judge of the Bendel State High Court, best remembered for presiding over one of the most high-profile criminal cases in Nigeria’s history — the trial of Lawrence Anini, the infamous armed robber who terrorized the country in the 1980s.

Justice Omo-Agege fearlessly handled the trial of Anini, his notorious accomplice Monday Osunbor, and members of their gang, ultimately sentencing them to death by firing squad. He also passed the same sentence on DSP George Iyamu, a senior police officer who was shockingly found to be complicit in the gang’s criminal activities — offering them protection and vital information.

Presiding over such a dangerous and politically sensitive case earned Justice Omo-Agege a reputation as a fearless and incorruptible judge, someone who was ready to stand for justice no matter the risks involved.

He later served as the Chief Judge of Delta State from October 3, 1993, to November 4, 1998, and was widely respected for his commitment to the rule of law and judicial integrity.

Justice James Omo-Agege was also the father of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who served as Deputy Senate President of Nigeria and represented Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.


He passed away in 2016 at the age of 83, after a brief illness, leaving behind a legacy of justice, courage, and public service.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EXCLUSIVE: Week of Turmoil — Kebbi Schoolgirls Abducted, Kwara Church Attacked, Kanu Jailed for Life

-
Image
By Victor Olubiye Symbolic representation of Nigeria in crisis, amid abductions, attacks, and rising insecurity. Credit: Public Domain Nigeria is reeling from a wave of crises that together expose the fragility of its security, politics, and international standing. Twenty-five schoolgirls were abducted from a boarding school in Kebbi State in a pre‑dawn raid. In Kwara State, armed bandits fired into a church during evening service, killed several people, and carried off dozens of worshippers. In Abuja, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on terrorism charges. All this is unfolding against a backdrop of earlier, sharp international pressure — including a warning from U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who last month threatened military intervention in Nigeria if Christians continue to be attacked. In the early hours of Monday, November 17, gunmen on motorcycles overran the Government Girls Comprehensive ...
Read more

Polytechnics Build Creators, Universities Breed Job Seekers: The Nigerian Education Paradox

-
Image
Photo sources: Osun State Polytechnic, Iree (left); Federal University Oye-Ekiti main gate (right). By Victor Olubiye In Nigeria today, one of the most debated topics in education circles is the widening gap between university and polytechnic graduates. While universities pride themselves on academic excellence and theoretical rigor, polytechnics are quietly raising a generation of self-reliant young Nigerians who can create, build, and sustain jobs in a country where unemployment remains an unending national crisis. For students of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, education goes beyond lectures and PowerPoint slides. In the engineering workshop, students handle real machines. In the mass communication studio, budding broadcasters produce, record, and edit programmes. Fashion students cut, sew, and design their way into entrepreneurship even before graduation. This practical-oriented system is what sets polytechnics apart. “Here, we are not waiting for anyone to employ us,” says Boluwatif...
Read more

Beyond the Goalposts: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Peter Rufai

-
Image
 By Victor Olubiye The Nigerian football community is in mourning after the death of legendary goalkeeper Peter Rufai, popularly known as “Dodo Mayana.” The former Super Eagles’ first-choice shot-stopper passed away in Lagos on Thursday morning at the age of 61, following a prolonged illness . Nigeria’s Football Federation (NFF) confirmed the passing, tweeting: “Forever in our hearts, Dodo Mayana. We mourn the passing of legendary Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, a giant of Nigerian football and a 1994 AFCON champion…”   A Storied Career Domestically and Abroad Born on August 24, 1963, in Lagos, Rufai rose to national prominence at Stationery Stores before a two-decade professional career spanning clubs in Belgium (Lokeren, Beveren), the Netherlands (Go Ahead Eagles), Portugal (Farense, Gil Vicente), and Spain (Hércules, Deportivo La Coruña) . He earned 65 caps with Nigeria and served as the nation’s starting goalkeeper during their victorious 1994 Africa Cup of Nat...
Read more

PROFILE: Grigori Perelman – The Brilliant Mathematician Who Solved the Impossible and Turned Down a Million Dollars

-
Image
 By Victor Olubiye In a world where recognition, riches, and reputation often define success, one man defied them all—and became a legend. Grigori Perelman, a reclusive mathematician from Saint Petersburg, Russia, stunned the scientific world not only with his genius, but with an even rarer quality: indifference to fame. In the early 2000s, Perelman achieved what many believed was impossible—he solved the century-old Poincaré Conjecture, one of the most complex and elusive problems in the history of mathematics. The Poincaré Conjecture was more than just a puzzle. It was one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems, identified by the Clay Mathematics Institute in 2000 as the greatest unsolved problems in mathematics. Each came with a $1 million prize and global acclaim. The conjecture itself dealt with the very nature of space and shape in three dimensions, baffling the sharpest mathematical minds for over a hundred years. Perelman’s solution, published in a series of low-key online ...
Read more

Folake Solanke: The Woman Who Shattered Nigeria’s Legal Glass Ceiling

-
Image
 By Victor Olubiye In the grand corridors of Nigeria’s legal history, one name stands out like a shining beacon—Chief Folake Solanke, SAN, OON, CON—a woman whose brilliance and determination broke barriers, inspired generations, and redefined what was possible for women in law. Born on March 29, 1932, Solanke’s path was perhaps destined for greatness. She is the daughter of Chief Jacob Sogboyega Odulate, the celebrated pharmacist and inventor of the iconic Alabukun medicine—a household remedy whose reach spanned decades. With such a legacy of ingenuity and grit, it was no surprise that Folake carved her own path to history. After earning her law degree from the University of Newcastle, she was called to the English Bar in 1962. Returning to Nigeria, she etched her name in the nation’s legal annals by becoming the first woman to be conferred the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)—a feat that made her the first woman to don the silk gown reserved for the country’s t...
Read more

Opa Oranmiyan: The Staff That Holds the Secrets of a Warrior King

-
Image
 By Victor Olubiye In the heart of Ile-Ife, the spiritual cradle of the Yoruba people, stands a tall and mysterious monolith that has defied time for centuries. Known locally as Opa Oranmiyan—the Staff of Oranmiyan—this 18-foot granite column is more than a relic. It is a living memory, a cultural compass, and a sacred link to one of the most controversial and legendary figures in Yoruba history: Prince Oranmiyan, the last son of Oduduwa. The tale of Oranmiyan is as layered as the myths of ancient Greece. Oral tradition recalls that he was born of Lakange Anihunka, a slave woman captured during war, but his paternity was shared by two titans—Oduduwa, progenitor of the Yoruba race, and Ogun, the fiery god of iron and war. This unusual origin gave him his name Oranmiyan, which loosely translates as “the child who chose controversy.” Half of his body was said to carry Ogun’s bronze-like complexion, while the other half mirrored Oduduwa’s darker hue. From birth, he was destined to be b...
Read more

Colonel Victor Banjo: The Yoruba Officer Who Crossed the Lines of War

-
Image
 By Victor Olubiye On the morning of September 22, 1967, four men were lined up at Enugu and condemned to face the guns of their comrades. Among them was a tall, soft-spoken officer whose life had once symbolized the promise of a modern Nigerian military—Colonel Victor Adebukunola Banjo. Moments later, the sound of rifles tore through the air, ending not just his life but the ambitions of one of the brightest officers of his generation. Banjo’s story is not just the tale of a soldier. It is a window into the turbulence of Nigeria’s 1960s—an era of coups, betrayals, and civil war, when loyalty to tribe or nation could decide between life and death. Born on April 1, 1930, in Ogun State, Banjo grew up in a Nigeria still under colonial rule. In 1953, he joined the Nigerian Army as Warrant Officer 52 and began a journey that would set him apart. He trained at the prestigious Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the United Kingdom, where discipline and intellect combined to shape his ca...
Read more

FEATURE: Better Eat Well — Your Future Doctors Are Using ChatGPT to Pass Exams

-
Image
 By Victor Olubiye  In the lecture halls of Nigeria’s medical and health institutions, a quiet revolution is underway — not in the laboratories or operating theatres, but on smartphones, laptops, and AI chat windows. Increasingly, student doctors are turning to tools like ChatGPT to prepare for — and sometimes cheat in — their examinations. While artificial intelligence has opened new frontiers in learning, educators, students, and health professionals alike are raising a red flag: Are we training a generation of doctors who don’t truly understand medicine? At first glance, using AI-powered tools like ChatGPT for academic assistance may seem harmless — even innovative. After all, the future of healthcare is undeniably intertwined with technology. But as reports grow of students using these tools not just for study but to bypass learning altogether, the issue has become a ticking time bomb in Nigeria’s already strained medical education system. “You had better eat good food,” w...
Read more

FG Honours Late Buhari: Five Public Structures Renamed in Borno

-
Image
 By Victor Olubiye  The Federal Government has approved the renaming of five major public structures in Borno State after Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, in honour of his service and historical ties to the state. The decision was reached during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session held on Wednesday, July 17, just days after Buhari’s passing on July 13. The move is part of efforts to immortalize the late president, who served as military governor of the former North-Eastern State and played a key role in the region’s development. Among the renamed institutions is the University of Maiduguri, which will now be known as Muhammadu Buhari University. The university was established in 1975, during Buhari’s tenure as military administrator of the North-East, before Borno State was carved out in 1976. Other public assets in Maiduguri renamed after the former president include: Maiduguri International Airport, now Muhammadu Buhari International Airport Muhamm...
Read more

Top 10 Wednesday Breaking News

-
Image
    By Victor Olubiye 1. Rivers Crisis: After Supreme Court’s Ruling, Tinubu Breaks Silence  Tells PANDEF Leaders To Help Implement Court Rulings Soonest  Says People Of Rivers State Must Not Suffer Because Of Democracy  Fubara Vows To Obey Judgment, Laments Huge Resources Wasted On Crisis President Bola Tinubu has finally broken his silence regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling on the protracted crisis rocking the oil-rich South-South, Rivers State.  2. Natasha-Akpabio Sexual Harassment Brouhaha Festers Suspended Senator Takes Case To UN Inter-Parliamentary Union  The ruckus surrounding the six-month suspension slammed on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central at the 10th National Assembly is showing no signs of abating anytime soon.  3. House Of Reps Demand Suspension Of CBN’s New ATM Charges Says It Contradicts Financial Inclusion Agenda The House of Representatives has called for the immediate suspension of the r...
Read more