Mary Ukaego Odili
|
The Honorable Mary Odili |
|
|---|---|
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria | |
|
Assumed office 23 June 2011 |
|
| Nominated by | Goodluck Jonathan |
| Preceded by | Niki Tobi |
| First Lady of Rivers State | |
|
In office 29 May 1999 – 29 May 2007 |
|
| Governor | Peter Odili |
| Preceded by | Rose A. George |
| Succeeded by | Judith Amaechi |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
12 May 1952 Amudi Obizi, Ezinihitte-Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria |
| Spouse(s) | Peter Odili (m. 1979) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater |
University of Nigeria Nigerian Law School |
Mary Ukaego Odili (née Nzenwa; CFR born 12 May 1952) is a Nigerian judge and wife of Peter Odili, who served as Governor of Rivers State from 1999 to 2007. She was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (JSC) by President Goodluck Jonathan and was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Katsina-Alu on 23 June 2011.
Prior to becoming SCN justice, she held numerous important offices, including Judge, High Court of Rivers State (1992–2004), Justice, Court of Appeal, Abuja Division (2004–2010), and Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division (2010–2011). She served also as the First Lady of Rivers State during her husband's tenure as governor.
Mary Ukaego Nzenwa was born on 12 May 1952 in Amudi Obizi, Ezinihitte-Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. She is the second daughter of Eze Bernard Nzenwa and Ugoeze Benadette Nzenwa. Her father Eze Nzenwa worked as a lawyer in the United Kingdom during 1959 before he was made Secretary of the Nigeria Airways. Ukaego attended a number of primary schools as a child including St Benedict's Primary School, Obizi Ezinitte, St Michael's Primary School, Umuahia, St Agnes Primary School, Maryland and Our Lady of Apostles Primary School, Yaba. She briefly attended Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, also in Yaba, Lagos.
Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1967, Ukaego and her parents relocated to the southeast of the country. There, she continued her education at Owerri Girls High School until her family moved back to Mbaise. She then attended Mbaise Girls Secondary School and later enrolled at the Queen of the Rosary College in Onitsha. In 1972, she passed with Grade I (aggregate 6) in the West African School Certificate Examination. The same year, Ukaego gained admission into the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus where she read law. In her second year in the university she earned a scholarship for maintaining the second class upper division league with higher scores. She met Peter Odili, a medical doctor, at a campus party and the two began a romantic relationship. In 1976, she graduated with an LLB (Hons) and was rated the best student of the department of commercial and property law. Shortly after, she attended the Nigerian Law School and received her B.L. certificate in 1977, before embarking on her youth service in Benin City and Abeokuta. Odili was serving as a house officer in Benin City at the time.
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