Ademola, Sir Adetokunbo Adegboyega

▪ 1994

      Nigerian judge (b. Feb. 1, 1906, Abeokuta, Nigeria—d. Jan. 29, 1993, Lagos, Nigeria), was the first indigenous chief justice of the Nigerian Supreme Court (1958-72) and a cofounder of the Nigerian law school. Ademola was the son of Sir Ladapo Ademola II, the paramount ruler (1920-63) of the Egba people in southwestern Nigeria, and was educated at King's College in Lagos and Selwyn College, Cambridge. He studied law at the Middle Temple in London and was called to the bar in 1934. After returning to Nigeria, Ademola worked in the civil service, practiced law, and served as a magistrate (1939-49) and a puisne (junior) judge (1949-55). He was named to the Nigerian Supreme Court by the British authorities in 1949 and appointed chief justice of the western region in 1955. Three years later he was elevated to chief justice of the federation. Ademola retained his post after Nigeria became independent (1960) and retired from the bench in 1972. He was chosen to supervise the 1973 national census, but the controversial results were never officially accepted. He remained in public service, however, as chancellor of the University of Nigeria (from 1975) and chairman of the Commonwealth Foundation (from 1978). Ademola was knighted in 1957 and was made a privy counsellor in 1963.

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