Retiring Lagos Chief Judge To Be Replaced By Younger Sister Today

Lagos State Judiciary is set to record unprecedented history today with the swearing-in of Oluwafunmilayo Olajumoke Atilade to succeed her elder sister, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, who bowed out of the Bench on attaining the mandatory retirement age of 65.
According to the statement issued by Deputy Director (Public Relations), Office of the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Bola Akingbade: “Following the appointment of her Ladyship as Chief Judge-designate by His Excellency, Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and approval of the appointment by the state House of Assembly, Honourable Justice Oluwafunmilayo Olajumoke Atilade will be duly sworn in by the governor on August 20, 2014.”
The statement revealed that the swearing-in ceremony scheduled to take place at the Governor’s Office, Alausa, today will usher in Justice Atilade as the 15th Chief Judge of Lagos State and the fifth woman to occupy the post.
It would be recalled that the state House of Assembly confirmed Atilade for the position on August 11, 2014 after she was screened following her nomination by the governor.
Atilade told the lawmakers during the screening exercise that she had spent half of her life working for the state judiciary and became a magistrate at 30 years in 1982 and thereafter judge in 1996.
She promised to continue with the effort of Phillips, her sister cum successor.
On June 14, 2012, at a swearing-in ceremony in Ikeja, Phillips took her oath of office as the 14th Chief Judge of Lagos and fourth woman to serve in that capacity at 62 years.
She succeeded Justice Inumidun Akande, who retired on June 10 after attaining the statutory retirement age of 65.