Eminent jurist, Chukwudifu Oputa passes on

Legal icon and re­tired Supreme Court Justice, Chukwudifu Oputa, is dead. He was aged 96 .

He died yesterday at the Abuja home of his music superstar son, Charles Oputa,otherwise known as ‘Area Father.’

Justice Oputa left be­hind his 92-year-old wife,Margret. Amidst tears, she described her late husband as a man of peace. She was inconsol­able, as she wailed and recounted her good old days with the respected Justice.

Justice Oputa , until breathing his last in the afternoon, was said to have read newspapers with his grand sons. Re­living his father’s last moments with members of the house, Charley Boy said there was no premo­nition that he would die yesterday.

His words: “My Dad read newspapers and joked with his grand­children this morning (that was yesterday). He told me in the morning, ‘please sorry for the in­conveniences.’ I told him which ‘inconveniences? He was served his food and he ate very well and cracked some jokes.

“His facial look didn’t suggest someone who was about to die. He looked strong and bois­terous.”

The entertainment guru described his father as a man of peace, who preached peace, justice and fair play even at the point of death .

“My father was a man of peace. He hated cheat­ing. He told us always to be fair to everybody,”the younger Oputa said.

On his relationship with his late father, he said: “ Initially, he was not happy with me but we reconciled 25 years ago. His name was pre­cious to him, he always warned me against doing anything that would tar­nish his name. We have been living together be­cause there was nothing I consider priceless than them. “

Asked if his mum can cope without the late Justice, he said : “I don’t know oo. You can see the way she has been crying . We don’t know what to do to stop her from cry­ing. They were too close. Only God will console her.

“ It is painful for me, he is a man of peace. We discuss everything espe­cially politics and gover­nance.”

On what the late Justice thought about Nigeria before his demise, Char­ley Boy said :” He was pained about the killing of innocent Nigerians by Boko Haram sect. Most of the discussion I had with him in the last few months centered on what must be done to return the country to glorious era.”

He did not mention when the burial of the icon would take place. He simply said “when the time comes we will let everybody know”

Other members of the family also wept pro­fusely for the late jurist, but the cry of the aged wife eclipsed that of other mourners . She called him several pet names, shook her head timelessly and often clutched the air to drive home her pain.

Justice Oputa,who had battled debilitating ail­ments, suffered stroke last year,