Tributes have poured in for the foremost Nigerian legal icon, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, who passed away on Sunday.
Nwabueze, a native of Atani in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was born in 1931.
The spokesperson for the family, Eni Nwabueze, in a statement on Monday, confirmed that he died on Sunday evening in his home.
“With great sadness, we announce the passing on to celestial glory of our patriarch, Professor B. O. Nwabueze SAN, NNOM, CON, pioneer Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Oduah Afo-na-isagba of Atani, Anambra State, on Sunday, October 29, 2023, aged 94,” he partly wrote.
Reacting to his demise, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a statement issued on Monday by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, described the deceased as a “great luminary, a towering figure, and a champion of the Igbo cause.”
Isiguzoro noted that the Igbo-speaking states, including Anioma in Delta State and Ikwerre in Rivers State, would observe four traditional market days of mourning to honour his memory.
The statement read, “With heavy hearts and profound sorrow, Ohanaeze Ndigbo joins the entire Igbo nation and the world at large in mourning the irreparable loss of a great luminary, a towering figure, and a champion of the Igbo cause, Prof. Ben Nwabueze.
“We announce with deep grief the passing away of our beloved founder and former Secretary-General, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, a man whose contributions to the academic, legal, and political spheres are immeasurable.”
Ohanaeze said as its Secretary-General between 1978 and 2004, Nwabueze transformed the organisation into a formidable and highly regarded non-partisan pan-Igbo pressure group.
Also, Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo, in his tribute remarked that Nwabueze’s influence extended far beyond his home state, noting that he lived all his life inspiring generations of legal minds and citizens alike to strive for a more just and equitable society.
Soludo, in a statement signed by his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, added that the deceased’s unyielding commitment to the cause of constitutionalism, justice and equity has left an indelible impact on Nigeria.
An Igbo group, Credibility Group in a statement by its President, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, also described the late Nwabueze as a consummate lawyer and a professor of law who insisted on doing a written examination for his LLD.