Nwabueze Begins Final Journey Home Thursday

The Prof Ben Nwabueze national burial committee co-chaired by former Commonwealth secretary-general, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has announced activities for the burial of the foremost constitutional lawyer.

Nwabueze, an extraordinary scholar, teacher, lawyer and winner of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and one-time secretary-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, died on October 29, 2023 at the age of 92.

In statement issued yesterday, the committee said the burial activities would commence on Thursday, February 22, 2024 with a valedictory court session at the Lagos State High Court Premises, Ikeja, at 2pm. The event will be presided over by the chief judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba.

As part of the obsequies to the dead, Friday, February 23, 2024, has been scheduled as a Day of Tributes at the Harbour Point Event Centre, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, at 2pm.

The statement further detailed that the mortal remains of the eminent jurist will be interred at him country home in Atani, Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

Then, Friday, March 1, 2024 has been scheduled as the day for national tributes and celebration of the impactful and very worthy life and times of Akunnia Benjamin Obiefuna Nwabueze, the Oduah Afo-na-Isagba of Atani, at Atani. The ceremony will commence at 12 noon.

Thereafter, the funeral train will move back to Lagos, where the group of eminent national leaders popularly known as The Patriots will hold a National Colloquium/Dialogue at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Monday, March 18, 2024. The colloquium is scheduled to commence at 11am.

Prof Nwabueze, who at the time of his passing was the most senior lawyer in Nigeria with a scholarly output that included over 34 books, 100 conference keynotes, and 200 peer-reviewed and scientific articles, and probably also the most prolific and influential legal scholar out of Africa, was the chairman of The Patriots.