By Ovie Okpare
The immediate past President of the Customary Court of Appeal in Delta State, Hon. Justice Patience Onuwa Elumeze, has reportedly passed on, two years after she retired from service.
Elumeze, in her 60s, was said to have reportedly passed after a brief illness in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Tuesday.
Sources within the Delta State judiciary confirmed the sad incident on Wednesday at a hospital where she was said to be receiving treatment before her tragic passage.
Justice Elumeze was appointed in November 2020 by then Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the acting President of the Delta State Customary Court of Appeal, following the retirement of her predecessor, Justice Stella Ogene.
Governor Okowa formally swore her in as the substantive President of the Customary Court of Appeal in June 2021.
She retired from her position in April 2023.
Hon. Justice Elumeze was often credited and applauded for her tremendous transformation in the administrative and speedy dispensation of justice during her tenure as President of the Customary Court of Appeal.
When our correspondent visited the Delta State Customary Court of Appeal Headquarters along High Court Road, Asaba, the death of Justice Elumeze was heard being discussed by staff and lawyers.
Some of the staff who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity described the death of the deceased as a huge loss to the judiciary family in the state.
They also described her as a kind, passionate, and hardworking boss who contributed immensely to the dispensation of justice and the welfare of staff.
