George Sodeinde Sowemimo

Justice George Sodeinde Sowemimo (1920–1997) was a prominent Nigerian jurist who served as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1983 to 1985. Over a judicial career spanning more than three decades, he became widely known for presiding over one of the most controversial political trials in Nigeria’s early post-independence history.

Early Judicial Career

Sowemimo joined the Nigerian judiciary during the colonial era and gradually rose through the ranks of the legal system. His reputation as a strict and methodical judge earned him significant influence within the courts. Over the course of 32 years on the bench, he served in various judicial capacities before eventually becoming Chief Justice of Nigeria in 1983.

The Awolowo Treasonable Felony Trial

Justice Sowemimo is most remembered for his role in the 1963 treasonable felony trial involving Obafemi Awolowo and several members of the Action Group.
The case accused Awolowo and others of plotting to overthrow the federal government led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. After a lengthy trial, Sowemimo delivered a 90-page judgment.
During the ruling, he made the famous statement:

“My hands are tied.”

The phrase became one of the most quoted lines in Nigerian legal and political history. Awolowo and 17 co-defendants were subsequently convicted and sentenced to prison terms.
The trial was highly controversial and remains a subject of debate among historians and legal scholars, with some arguing that the case had strong political undertones during Nigeria’s First Republic.

Chief Justice of Nigeria

Two decades after the Awolowo case, Sowemimo rose to the highest judicial office in the country when he became Chief Justice of Nigeria in 1983. His tenure occurred during a turbulent political period that saw the end of Nigeria’s Second Republic and the return of military rule later that year.
He served as Chief Justice until 1985, after which he retired from the judiciary.

Legacy

Justice Sowemimo’s legacy is closely tied to the intersection of law and politics in Nigeria’s early democratic years. His long judicial service and involvement in landmark cases made him a significant figure in Nigeria’s legal history.
Today, his name remains associated with one of the most important legal trials in the country’s post-independence era.

Source

The Nigerian Judiciary: A Historical Perspective

Nigerian Supreme Court historical records

Bimbola Babarinde, The Nigerian Nostalgia 1960–1980 Project

Biographical archives of George Sodeinde Sowemimo.