Hon. Justice Chinwe Eugenia Iyizoba (Rtd), a former Justice of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, has passed away at the age of 76.
In a notification issued by her family, the retired jurist was said to have died on January 31, 2026, after a life devoted to the service of the legal profession and the Nigerian nation.
The family described her passing as the transition of a distinguished legal icon whose career spanned several decades across academia, legal practice and the judiciary.
Justice Iyizoba began her legal career in academia as a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Nigeria in 1979, combining teaching with private legal practice before her appointment as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Anambra State in 1994.
In January 1997, she was elevated to the bench as a Judge of the Anambra State High Court where she served with distinction. Her judicial career later reached a higher milestone in July 2010 when she was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
Throughout her years on the bench, Justice Iyizoba was widely respected for her integrity, intellectual depth and commitment to the rule of law. She served in several capacities, including as a member of election petition tribunals and administrative judge in various judicial divisions in Anambra State.
Born on January 19, 1950, in Bukuru, Plateau State, Justice Iyizoba studied law at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, where she graduated with Second Class Upper Division honours in 1974. She later obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Rutgers University in the United States before being called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978.
Beyond the bench, she contributed significantly to legal scholarship and public service, serving on several national and international bodies, including the National Association of Women Judges Nigeria and the International Association of Women Judges.
After retiring from the Court of Appeal in January 2020, she remained active in advancing the cause of women in the judiciary and later served as Judicial Coordinator of the Women in Leadership in Law Project in Nigeria.
Justice Iyizoba is survived by her three children, two sons-in-law and twelve grandchildren, as well as members of her extended families.
According to the family, the late jurist will be laid to rest on April 9, 2026, while tributes in her honour are expected ahead of the funeral.
Her legacy, the family noted, will endure through her years of service to justice, her compassion and her unwavering commitment to fairness and integrity in the Nigerian legal system.
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