Adetokunbo Ademola | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1906 |
| Died | 1993 Kaduna |
| Occupation | Judge |
| Known for | Judiciary |
| Title | Chief Justice |
| Successor | Taslim Elias |
| Spouse | Kofo Ademola (née Moore) |
| Relatives | Adenekan Ademola |
Omoba Sir Adetokunbo Adegboyega Ademola, KBE, GCON, PC, SAN (1 February 1906 – 29 January 1993) was a Nigerian judge and former Chief Justice of Nigeria (1958-1972). Before becoming the Chief Justice, he was Chief Justice of the Western Region of Nigeria.
Although, Justice Ademola is known for his judicial duties, he was an important person in the Nigerian crisis of 1966. Then, a counter coup had challenged the unity of Nigeria. A few Northern Military officers had successfully executed a coup with a plan to secede from Nigeria. But the British High Commission, which gets intelligence briefings on Nigeria and Chief Justice Ademola persuaded the Northern leaders not to quit but to take power.
Adetokunbo Ademola was born on February 1, 1906 to the family of a titled traditional ruler of Abeokuta, Oba Ladapo Ademola. He later married the daughter of a prominent Lagos lawyer, Kofo Moore.
He attended St Gregory's Grammar School and King's College, Lagos before proceeding to Selwyn College, Cambridge. He was then called to the bar in 1934 and started work as a crown counsel. In 1939, he was appointed a magistrate before becoming a junior high court judge in 1949. In 1955, he was made the Chief Judge of Western Nigeria and later became the Chief Justice of the country.
As the Chief Justice, he was instrumental to the establishment of the Nigerian Law School, the first in the country. He was also involved in a case: Lakanmi vs the Attorney General of Nigeria, where he ruled that a Nigerian court could review military decrees.[1]