RismadarVoice Reporters
September 20, 2026
The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has urged legal scholars and practitioners in Nigeria and abroad to uphold judicial independence, integrity and truth in the discharge of their duties.
The monarch made the call when members of the League of Luminaries, a group under the Nigerian Law School Class of 1984, paid a courtesy visit to the Benin Palace.
Oba Ewuare II urged members of the group to use their experience and expertise to strengthen Nigeria’s judiciary and preserve the institutional values of the legal profession.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Osaigbovo Iguobaro, the monarch described the judiciary as a critical pillar of democracy.
He urged legal practitioners to remain committed to justice and ensure that their decisions were guided by truth rather than fear or favour.
“The judiciary is the bedrock of democracy. We can only pray and keep praying that the judiciary keeps waxing strong,” the monarch said.
He acknowledged the pressures that members of the profession could face but urged them to remain steadfast.
“When you are giving your decisions, stand by the truth without fear or favour of anybody. Stand by the truth. I always like the truth. You cannot be perfect, but we should try as much as possible to stand by the truth. Be upright,” he said.
The Oba also reminded the legal profession of its traditional role as the last avenue of redress for ordinary citizens.
“The judiciary is the last hope of the common man, as they say. Please hold onto that strongly,” he added.
The monarch welcomed the delegation and described its visit as a demonstration of respect for the Benin traditional institution and the cultural heritage of the kingdom.
He thanked the group for choosing to visit the palace and prayed for its members.
The delegation included Nigerians working in engineering, science, politics and other professions from within the country and the diaspora.
Earlier, the delegation’s leader and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the group’s annual general meeting in Benin City, Adekunle Edeki, described Benin City as the cradle of Black civilisation.
Mr Edeki commended the Oba for what he described as his achievements and pledged the group’s support for activities marking the monarch’s 10th coronation anniversary in October.
He said the theme of the Nigerian Law School Class of 1984 reunion, “Re-union Royal 2026,” reflected the group’s appreciation of the history and cultural heritage of the Benin people.
According to him, the group chose Benin City as the venue for its annual gathering after previously holding the event in Dallas, United States.
“We decided that Benin City, which is the centre of the whole world, will be the next city to host our meeting after Dallas, United States. We are proud of the palace. We are so proud of our Oba,” he said.
Mr Edeki said visiting Benin without paying homage at the palace would amount to missing an important part of the city’s heritage.
He said the visit was intended to demonstrate the group’s respect for the monarch and the traditional institution.
