The Hon. Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, on Thursday, bowed out of the Supreme Court of Nigeria following her retirement from public service, having attained 70 years on May 12, 2022.
Justice Mary is the wife of Dr Peter Odili, who served as Governor of Rivers State between 1999 to 2007.
Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, JSC CFR (nee Nzenwa) was born on the 12 May, 1952 at Amudi Obizi, Ezinihitte – Mbaise L.G.A. of Imo State.
She attended various Primary Schools including St Benedict’’s Primary School, Obizi Ezinihitte, St Michael’s Primary School, Umuahia, St Agnes Primary School, Maryland, Lagos and Our Lady of Apostles Primary School, Yaba, Lagos between 1959 and 1965.
She also attended various Secondary Schools including Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Yaba, Owerri Girls Secondary School, Owerri, Mbaise Girls Secondary School, Mbaise and the Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha between 1965 and 1972.
She later proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Enugu Campus). In her second year at the university, she bagged the university scholarship for maintaining the second class upper division league with higher scores and was rated the best student in the department of commercial and property law in 1976.
She obtained her Bachelor’’s Degree in Law (LL.B (Hons)) in 1976 and attended the Nigerian Law School in 1977 for her B.L certificate.
Her previous professional appointments/positions includes:
Pupil State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Abeokuta, Ogun State (1977 – 1978)
Pupil State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Benin, Bendel State (1978)
Magistrate Grade III, Benin, Bendel State (1978 -1979)
Chairman, Juvenile Court, Benin, Bendel State (1978 – 1979)
Magistrate Grade II, Rivers State(1979 – 1981)
Chairman, Juvenile Court, Rivers State (1979 – 1981)
Magistrate Grade I, Chief Magistrate Grade I (1981 – 1992)
Judge, High Court of Rivers State (1992 – 2004)
Justice, Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division (2004 – 2010)
Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division (2010 – 2011)
Hon. Justice Mary Ukaego Peter Odili was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (JSC) on 23 June, 2011.
She was conferred with National Honour Commander Federal Republic (CFR) in 2012.
Deputy Chairman, National Judicial Council (March 2021 – May 12, 2022)
She is happily married to former Rivers State Governor, Peter Otunaya Odili, CON and blessed with children.
Odili is only the third woman to be elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria after Aloma Mariam Mukhtar and Olufunlola Adekeye.