By Son Tertsea, Abuja

Nigerian-born legal scholar Professor Dapo Akande has been elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), marking a significant milestone in his career and a diplomatic victory for the United Kingdom.

• Barrister and Solicitor, Nigerian Law School – 1993
• LLM, London School of Economics (LSE) – 1994
• MA, University of Oxford – 2004

He is a dual UK-Nigerian national

Dapo Akande will serve a minimum nine-year term as one of the 15 judges of the United Nations’ principal judicial organ.

His election comes at a time when international law is facing increasing scrutiny, with the ICJ playing a prominent role in resolving disputes between nations and addressing major international legal questions.

Akande is an internationally recognised expert in public international law and has advised and represented parties in cases before international courts and tribunals, including the ICJ.

Following his election, he expressed gratitude to the countries that supported his candidacy, pledging to discharge his responsibilities independently and impartially.

“I am deeply honoured to be elected to the international court of justice.

“I am incredibly grateful to all the states that have put their faith in me. I pledge to serve with independence and to deciding cases on the basis of a faithful and impartial application of the law. I look forward to contributing to the ICJ’s vital work in helping to resolve disputes by peaceful means, alongside the other colleagues elected today,” he said.

Here are five things to know about the Nigerian-born professor and his new international judicial role.

1.He He was born in June 1973, raised in Ibadan, Oyo State and attended the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo university, and graduated in 1992, where he obtained the LLB degree in law. before building an international reputation in public international law.

His Nigerian legal background has remained an important part of his professional journey, which has taken him to some of the most prestigious legal and academic institutions in the world.

2.He is a professor at the University of Oxford
Akande is a professor of public international law at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.

He is also a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, one of the university’s prestigious academic institutions.

Through his academic work, he has contributed to the study and development of international law, particularly the legal principles governing relations between countries.

3 He is a member of the UN International Law Commission
Beyond his academic career, Akande is an elected member of the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC).

The commission is responsible for promoting the progressive development and codification of international law.

His membership reflects his standing as an international legal expert and his involvement in shaping discussions around the rules governing relations between states.

4.He has represented parties before international courts, Akande has extensive experience advising and representing parties in disputes before international courts and tribunals.

He has served as counsel, adviser and expert in several international legal proceedings, including cases before the International Court of Justice.

His professional experience in international litigation is expected to contribute to his responsibilities as a member of the world’s principal judicial body.

5.His election marks a major diplomatic victory for the UK
Akande’s election is also significant for the United Kingdom, which had been without a judge on the ICJ since 2017.

That year, British judge Sir Christopher Greenwood unexpectedly lost his bid for re-election to an Indian rival, marking the first time in the court’s 71-year history that Britain had no representative among its judges.

Akande’s election restores British representation on the 15-member court and is considered an important diplomatic achievement for the country.

UK Lord Chancellor Alex Norris actively campaigned for his election, describing him as a candidate with the independence, legal rigour, judgment and breadth of perspective required by the court.

Prof. Dapo Akande* – Nigerian-born, British-Nigerian international law scholar – was elected on 3 November 2026 as a Judge of the *International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s principal judicial organ in The Hague.

He will take his seat on 6 February 2027 for a nine-year term (2027-2036). He is the first UK-nominated judge on the Court in almost a decade.

Why It Matters
Akande’s election is seen as both a Nigerian success story – from OAU Ife to Oxford to The Hague – and a diplomatic win for the UK, which had campaigned for him since September 2024. As an ICJ judge, he will not represent the UK or Nigeria, but sit as an independent judge on cases between states, including major cases like South Africa v. Israel.

By Nick Ibe, Abuja

The claimants who have taken Jordan Wike, FCT minister Nyeson Wike’s son, to court over land fraud case have petitioned the Chief Judge to remove Justice Oriji from the matter, citing his alleged relationship with the family of the FCT Minister.

The case was adjourned by Justice Sylvanus Oriji for continuation of hearing on December 1.

The two firms have also petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged role of Jordan Nyesom-Wike, son of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in the disputed $2.1 million land transaction.

The petitioners, Safwan Garba GY and GY Global Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited, through their lawyers, raised allegations of fraud, obtaining by false pretences, criminal misappropriation and conversion.

The claimants’ counsel, Mr. Ibrahim Waru, told journalists at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, that although the anti-graft agency had acknowledged receipt of the petition, it had yet to act on it.

Waru said the civil aspect of the matter is already pending before the High Court of the FCT, with the other petition filed to enable the EFCC investigate the alleged criminal elements.

He said his clients had attached to the petition a proof of evidence, including correspondence and WhatsApp exchanges, as proof that the money was allegedly handed over to Wike’s son at a house in Gwarinpa on September 26, 2025, in the presence of two witnesses.

A copy of the petition availed to the press read: “We have our client’s firm instructions to submit this petition against Jordan Nyesom-Wike for the alleged offences of fraud, obtaining by false pretence, criminal misappropriation and conversion to the tune of USD2,100,000 (Two Million, One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) perpetrated against our client.

“Our client met Jordan Nyesom-Wike in London, following which the two developed a rapport.

“Upon returning to Nigeria about three months ago, Jordan met with our client. He promised to facilitate the acquisition of land within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), based on his prior representations that he routinely provided such facilitation and that he had his father’s knowledge and approval, as the Honourable Minister of the FCT.

“To strengthen these representations, Jordan placed a telephone call to his father in the presence of our client, ostensibly informing him of the intended transaction.

“Jordan thereafter assured our client that he could secure 30 hectares of land in Katampe and 30 hectares in Guzape.

“Jordan demanded and received the sum of USD2,000,000 (Two Million United States Dollars) as the fee he would deliver to his father, the Honourable Minister, to facilitate the land allocation.

“Additionally, our client paid USD100,000 (One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to Jordan as his personal facilitation fee.

“These amounts were paid in cash, at the insistence of Jordan Nyesom-Wike, in the presence of the following witnesses: Adamu Sani and Aliyu Sarki. Jordan was accompanied by one Onor Sandy, whom he introduced as his friend and associate.

“Jordan promised to deliver the land allocations within one month. After receiving the funds, he failed to deliver on the agreement and became incommunicado.

“The UK phone number he provided is no longer reachable, and all attempts by our client, including through individuals known to the Honourable Minister, to establish contact with him have failed.

“Based on the foregoing, our client reasonably believes that Jordan Nyesom-Wike has committed offences, including but not limited to: Obtaining by False Pretence contrary to Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act; Fraud; Criminal Misappropriation; and Criminal Conversion of the sum of USD2,100,000 entrusted to him.

“Our client hereby requests that the Commission: commence an immediate investigation into the actions of Jordan Nyesom-Wike; arrest and interrogate Jordan Nyesom-Wike; and initiate prosecution where the investigation establishes criminal liability.
“Our client is prepared to provide all necessary help, including the witnesses and any further information that may assist the Commission.

“We trust in the professionalism and diligence of the EFCC and kindly request prompt action on this matter. Attached is the Acknowledgment of Payment signed by Jordan Wike.”

Justice Silvanus Oriji of the FCT High Court has fixed December 1 for continuation of a civil suit, marked CV/008/2026, which the claimants filed against Jordan, who has since denied the allegation.

The defendant, who insisted that he was not in the country on the date the litigants claimed they handed money to him to facilitate the allocation of land, tendered his international passport before the court to support his position.

Wike’s son told the court that he travelled out of the country with his American passport within the period the claimants said they met with him in Abuja.

—Blames govt for ignoring court rulings

By Son Tertsea, Abuja

A retired justice of the supreme court, Amina Adamu Augie, has sounded worry that corruption among judges, lawyers and court officials is undermining the administration of justice in Nigeria, turning the courts into “market stalls” rather than temples of justice.

While calling for the sanctioning of erring practitioners, irrespective of their roles or seniority, Augie said corruption within the legal profession had also damaged public confidence in the judiciary, .

She bared her mind on this, Saturday in Abuja, at the 40th anniversary of the Nigerian Law School Class of 1986, also known as the Centennial Class, while delivering a public lecture titled: “The Rule of Law and Justice Delivery — The Last 40 Years, Today and Tomorrow: Wither Nigeria?”

The retired supreme court justice, also a former lecturer at the Nigerian Law School before her judicial career, fingered corruption, political interference, inadequate funding and delays in the dispensation of justice, as some of the major ills against the judiciary. In her words:

“The third, which I will not dress up, is corruption. Where it exists on the Bench, at the Bar, or in the Registry, it poisons everything by turning the one place that a citizen should find impartiality into one more market stall.”

She nevertheless warned against a sweeping generalisation of the entire judiciary as corrupt, as most judges and lawyers were honest, hardworking and underpaid.

In her opinion, the judicial system must be structured to protect the integrity of its officers rather than expose them to temptation.

The retired Justice took a cautious analysis of the unethical conduct of some senior members of the legal profession that has grossly eroded public trust in the administration of justice. She therefore added:

“Have we kept faith with them? In part, YES, in part, NO. Public trust has paid the price. The public today is quick to believe the worst of lawyers, and sorry to say, not always without cause.

“When a few senior members of the profession have been found to traffic in the corruption of justice, the damage is not to them alone; it stains the gown we all wear.”

She went further to counsel that restoring public confidence would require more than image management, pointing out that the legal profession must demonstrate the courage to discipline its erring members without regard to their influence.

“Restoring that trust is not a matter of better public relations. It is a matter of conduct and a profession willing to discipline its own, without fear or favor, no matter how senior the offender may be in the legal profession.”

Augie insisted that lawyers’ primary responsibility was to the court and the administration of justice rather than to their clients, stressing that the profession has its ethics deeply rooted in honesty, candour and respect for the rule of law.

She said lawyers must shun the temptation to manipulate judicial processes, fabricate evidence or procure favourable judgments through improper means.

Beyond corruption, Augie identified inadequate funding as a major threat to judicial independence, arguing that a judiciary dependent on the executive for its basic operational needs could not be considered fully autonomous.

“A Judiciary that must beg the executive for a Courtroom roof, vehicles, or even the Judges’ entitlements is not fully free; financial autonomy for the Courts is not a perk for Justices and Judges, but a guarantee for litigants,” she said.

She also lamented the delays and high costs associated with litigation, describing delay as the chronic disease of Nigeria’s justice system.

Drawing from her experience on the Supreme Court, she said the apex court was overwhelmed by appeals, including cases that should ordinarily not reach the highest judicial authority.

She recalled an appeal involving the burning of 12 goats, which had reached the Supreme Court despite its enormous workload.

According to her, constitutional amendments are necessary to restrict the categories of appeals that can reach the apex court and allow its justices to concentrate on matters of greater legal and national significance.

Augie also criticised the persistent disobedience of court orders by government authorities, citing the prolonged detentions of former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki and Islamic Movement leader Ibrahim El-Zakzaky despite judicial orders for their release.

She said such conduct weakened the authority of the courts and encouraged citizens to regard the law as optional.

Reflecting on the state of the judiciary over the past 40 years, she acknowledged the progress made since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 but expressed disappointment that justice remained slow, expensive and inaccessible to many citizens.

She noted that Nigeria ranked 120th out of 143 countries in the 2025 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, describing the ranking as an uncomfortable reflection of the country’s institutional weaknesses.

Augie called for reforms that would strengthen judicial independence, expand access to justice, improve case management and restore ethical standards within the legal profession.

She urged members of the Class of 1986, many of whom now occupy senior positions in the judiciary and legal profession, to use their influence to defend the rule of law and restore public confidence.

“If Governments obey the Courts, if its Judgments are enforced, if justice comes within a reasonable time and within reach of the poor, if the profession upholds its integrity and disciplines its own,” she said, Nigeria would be better positioned to secure its future.

She concluded that the survival and progress of Nigeria would ultimately depend on the willingness of its leaders and legal professionals to uphold the rule of law.