A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, has said his judgements in office were without bias, adding that his conscience is free of guilt.
He stated this during an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH.
Ariwoola is the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria who served from 2022 to 2024.
Before his appointment, he served on the Election Petition Tribunals in Zamfara and Enugu states in 1999, and on the Election Appeal Courts in Port-Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Yola and Ilorin at various times.
He was sworn in as the Justice of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in 2005 and 2011, respectively.
While speaking to Saturday PUNCH in Lagos, he said his decisions were based on the fear of God.
He said, “I handled cases strictly on merit throughout my judicial career. I also served as Chairman of the Armed Robbery Tribunal for about three years at the trial court, where I delivered judgments based on evidence and the law, without bias. Those deserving of conviction were sentenced, and those who should be freed were discharged. I did so with a clear conscience and without regret.”
Asked for his view on the allegation of Christian genocide, Ariwoola said Nigeria’s insecurity problem cuts across religion and ethnicity.
He urged people in the country to unite.
He said, “The Boko Haram issue is not religious. Kidnapping and terrorism have nothing to do with religion. I attend church when I can. My eldest sister, from the same mother, was a Baptist, and I used to go to church with her. There is no Christian song I cannot sing with them. Neither Christians nor Muslims should be against each other because our God is a God of peace.”
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