The death of former Attorney General of the federation, a famous legal Luminary and a former Minister for Justice in the government of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, Chief Richard Akinjide has been announced.
He died early hours on Tuesday, April 21, Senator Babafemi Ojudu broke the news on one of his Social media network,
Senator Ojudu wrote on his Facebook page: “Richard Akinjide (SAN) politician, former minister just passed on. RIP,” the Nigerian lawmaker wrote on Facebook. Late Chief Akinjide was a former minister of education in the government of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa during the first republic and the minister for Justice in the administration of President Shehu Shagari in the second republic.
Late Richard Akinjide who was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was a member of the judicial systems sub-committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1975-1977 and later joined the National Party of Nigeria in 1978.
He became the legal adviser for the party and was later appointed the Minister for Justice. The deceased travelled to the UK in 1951 for his higher education and was called to the English Bar in 1955 and later in Nigeria. He established his practice of Akinjide & Co soon after. He also served as a chieftain in the Olubadan of Ibadan’s court of clan nobles.