JUSTICE Kayode Eso, a former activist Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (JSC), whose demise was announced on Friday by the immediate family, has indeed run a full race of judicial activism for change and impact in the Nigerian society in particular and the other common law countries in general.
His impact in the Nigerian legal system and polity is unquantifiable and overreaching, so much so that those who in one way or the other benefited from his legal fountain were jolted with rude shock of the news of his passage. He sojourned on the earth plane for 87 years.
As expected, a good number of people have been paying glowing tributes to this great man of law who was said to have traversed the legal firmament spotless and blameless.
A great legal mind who held the sanctity of the rule of law and corrupt-free judiciary as the basis for a free and just society, until death separated him from the living.
Though he has departed from here, his influence will continue to dwell with people of good faith, particularly those within the Nigerian judiciary, who undoubtedly will continue to reap from his colossal contributions to the legal system in several areas particularly in the area of jurisprudence which stood him out as an exceptional jurist.
Flowing from this is the tribute from the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) through its president, Oke Wali (SAN). It extolled the qualities of Eso as an eminent jurist and concluded that his demise was a great loss to the nation.
"Justice Kayode Eso's passage is a great loss to the legal profession and the country. But we must thank God for his (Eso's) gift and worthy life. The challenge is for us to sustain his legacy. May his great soul rest in peace in the Lord's bossom, Amen."
Also reacting, the director general of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Tahir Mamman poured encomiums on Eso.
He said: "Eso's passage is a huge loss to the law profession and of course our dear country. He was a great mentor and seemingly fixed like the Northern Star. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace."
A former NBA president and activist lawyer per excellence, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), in his tribute also said that the death of Justice Eso "is massive loss as Eso was a big mentor and played a major role in my life by giving me my chance to work in Lagos.
"He was a colossus at the Bar in Jos with my father. He was a colossus at the Supreme Court and will be remembered for the 'Eso Report' on judicial corruption."
Also contributing to the tribute of this great illustrious son of Nigeria, a former NBA president and the governorship candidate for Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said: "The news of the demise of yet another national icon, Justice Kayode Eso, is sad indeed.
"We express shock and sadness on the passage of this quintessential jurist not because of his age. He enjoyed the gift of longevity and remained active till the end."
He continued: "Justice Eso's bestrode the Legal firmament with unequalled gusto. His contributions to our jurisprudence remain invaluable. He was a consistent advocate of a corrupt-free judiciary, nay society. He will be remembered for his courage and activism on the Bench.
His outstanding pronouncements on the Bench and lately his courage to alert the nation on the incursion of the virulent virus of corruption into the judiciary marked him out amongst the great jurists and men of his time and age.
May he rest in perfect peace, Amen."
Two legal icons, Justice Emmanuel Olayinka Ayoola and Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN) cheered up Nigerians who may be mournful over the death of Eso.
Ayoola, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Akinjide, current chairman of the Inner Bar made-up of holders of the prestigious title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) were united in their view that Nigerians and indeed Nigeria, would not miss late Justice Eso because he had reproduced himself in his too numerous works in all human endeavours and in all capacities he had served the country and the international community.
In separate interviews with The Guardian they held the common view that Justice Eso's imperishable works both in his numerous sound judicial decisions, positions on national issues and exemplary leadership displayed at all levels of his callings have outlived him.
For Justice Ayoola who hailed from Ilesha with the late Eso, and who he had known for 68 years, the deceased was "a role model, very intellectually sound, courageous and fearless, an international jurist whose judicial decision could not be faulted, a reference point, both in his person and in his works.
"He was loving, caring, eager to help ready to sacrifice, a role model and mentor to millions of people in Nigeria and beyond.
"Since when I was 11 years old, he was a close friend of my late brother Olu Ayoola. He took after his father who was thoroughly principled and strictly discipline.
"He was from an illustrious family, but he never let this to be a hurdle to achieve personal greatness."
Akinjide, a former Attorney General at the Federation and Minister of Justice, said he had appeared before Eso as a counsel on several occasion, in Nigeria and outside Nigeria adding that it was delightful and intellectually rewarding to appear before him.
Akinjide said the Inner Bar would surely miss him, because according to him, Eso was always a reference point at any of the gathering of the body of SANs.
He described Eso as one of the greatest members of the legal profession, Nigeria ever produced, be it at the level of the Bar, the Bench or international judicial level.
He stated: "The late Justice Eso belonged to the generation of past legal icon, who resolutely upheld the incorruptible tradition of judiciary, he was outstanding incorruptible, he excelled in Nigeria, Europe and in Canada, he was one of the greatest member of the legal profession ever produced by Nigeria.
"It was always a thing of joy, it was delightful and enriching to appear and argue before him. The footprint he has given in the legal profession would survive. So he is not missed, he lives."
Former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Samuel Ilori, described the death of retired Justice Kayode Eso, as a huge loss to the country's judiciary.
The former Lagos CJ said the late jurist stood tall in the nation's judicial firmament and was held in high esteem for his intolerance to corruption.
According to him, the late Eso stood out distinctly in three major qualities.
"First, Justice Eso was an Epitome of Judicial up rightness, and was that very example of an incorruptible judge.
"Secondly, he had an unquestionable integrity to say the truth and was well know for his statement that the Judiciary will not tolerate Executive lawlessness".
"Thirdly, the late justice to the best of my knowledge, is one justice that is vast in almost every field of the discipline of law.
When it comes to legal knowledge, Eso was one of the very best," he said.
Ilori, who quoted the words of late Rotimi Williams, said that the worst thing that had happened to the country's judiciary, was that Eso was never appointed Chief Justice of the Federation.
He said that the country's judiciary could not be mentioned without having recourse to the late Justice Kayode Eso.
Ilori further called for appointment of persons of Eso's integrity in the nation's judiciary.
Former president of NBA, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), said: "At 87 justice Kayode Eso was still as sharp as a razor, flying at the mental and intellectual altitude like an eagle. His death remains a big loss to the entire human race.
"He was one of the most profound and gifted lawyers qua judges ever produced by the common law jurisdictions worldwide. "He dominated his time and age. He reasoned tall and expressed himself robustly.
"He was incorruptible and rose above reproaches. He was a mentor and role model to most of us. A big vacuum has been created in the legal firmament and I have my serious doubts if there would ever be another Kayode Eso.
"We thank God for his life and times. May his profound soul rest in perfect peace."
A Lagos human rights crusader, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, who expressed great shock and deep sense of loss at the death, said his death has drawn a great blanket over the Nigerian legal firmament.
"Coming at a time when Nigeria needed judicial rescue, when the tempo of judicial activism seemed to be at its lowest ebb, Justice Kayode Eso's death cannot but create a big vacuum in the legal history of Nigeria, which will be difficult to fill.
"He was purely a classical, erudite and distinguished jurist. Very eloquent, brilliant and with such jurisprudential sagacity of a rare breed. His days in the judiciary will be fondly remembered as rewarding, especially the case of Ojukwu v Gov of Lagos State, wherein Justice Eso, dared the military and condemned the rule of force as executive lawlessness.
"Nigeria has indeed lost a star, a model for all men of goodwill and judge of judges.
"I can only appeal that all our noble judicial officials who are currently in active service should take a cue from his lifestyle of contentment, transparency and committed service to the people, both in and outside the Bench, in service and in retirement.
"May his soul rest in perfect peace," he stated.
A Lagos-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Eso's kinsman, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe, described Justice Eso as "one of the great leaders of Ijesha men."
He said the Anglican Communion would greatly miss him as he (Eso) was the Chancellor Ilesha Diocese in Osun State.
He continued: "Eso was one of the greatest jurists ever produced in Africa. He was also one of the well-dressed jurists of his time. As an eminent jurist he laid down good examples.
"His works will remain indelible in the area of jurisprudence. In that area he laid down principles which others are following today."
Other reactions received included the ones from Lagos-based legal practitioner, Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN), who said: "The Nigerian Jurisprudence has lost one of its originators. Law and justice have lost one of its flag bearers.
"My Lord Justice Eso was central to the Zenith, which the Supreme Court attained in the eighties. He fused law and justice with a humanist face. May his gentle soul rest in most perfect peace and in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ."
For Miannaya Aja Essien (SAN): "Eso was an eminent and brilliant jurist has gone. His judgments greatly enriched the firmament of legal practice in Nigeria. He will be sorely missed."
For the publisher of the Nigerian Lawbreed law reports, Layi Babatunde (SAN): "Nigeria has lost a worthy son. The legal community has lost a major pillar of the golden era of Nigeria's judiciary.
"I hope we can seize this moment and make it one of reflection on the way forward concerning the entire gamut of our justice delivery system so that the labours of our heroes past will not be in vain.
"May he rest eternally from his labours and may god's grace remain sufficient for his family. We thank God for his life."
Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN) said: "The demise of Justice Kayode Eso is a major minus not only for the judiciary and the legal profession but for Nigeria.
"He was one of the most courageous and erudite justices the African continent had ever produced. We shall surely miss him. God the Almighty gives and He takes.
"Our obvious consolation is that he has left indelible imprints and footprints on the sands of time for us to continually remember him."
Two other Lagos-based SANs, Kunle Ogunba and Obi Okusogu, reacted the same way.
For Ogunba: "There goes 'the oracle'. Nigeria's legal firmament can never remain the same! He was an epitome of a quintessential judge in all ramifications. When cometh another of his like? The judgely judge is gone!"
Okusogu in the same manner said: "All lawyers will miss Kayode Eso. He was erudite as a jurist. His subtle rejection of national honours recently tells a lot of the patriot. May his soul rest in peace."
Prof Wahab Egbewole of the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, and former National Secretary of NBA, Rafiu Lawal Rabana (SAN), said Eso would be sorely missed.
According to Egbewole: "Nigeria has lost another legal icon. In the industry of Law, he had demonstrated that he was a judge, positive with judgment.
"He was not a judge of what the law is but what it ought to be. We will definitely miss him."
For Rabana: "His death represents the end of an era of those eminent jurists who sat at the apex court and made indelible marks in Judiciary.
"His judgments and quotations are still afresh as if they were delivered today. He was a great man."
