Yesterday, I, together with my secondary school mates, witnessed another remarkable success of Catholic education in Nigeria when Honorable Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole, was celebrated by friends from his alma mater at St. Charles’ Grammar School Osogbo.
In February, Charlean Oyewole 76/81 set was sworn in as the Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
I was in company of my secondary school mates of 88 set, Charlean Akinjide Salami, the chairman of our own set, Charlean Wasiu Bello, the immediate past chairman and Charlean Debo Agboola, the financial secretary to celebrate our senior.
Justice Oyewole fondly known as J.O.K , the sobriquet he adopted after one of his heroes in the legal profession, G.O.K Ajayi, is the son of a police officer who rose through the dint of hard work to become a justice of the Supreme Court at 61.
That’s a big deal in Nigeria, a society largely organized by a hierarchy where people are judged, valued, and treated differently based on their economic wealth, social status, job, or education level.
As J.O.K. himself noted, the journey to becoming a high ranking officer in the temple of justice started in 1976 at St. Charles, the school established by the Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Rt. Rev Owen McCoy.
Oyewole, then a lanky boy from Ila Orangun, gained admission into St. Charles Grammar School in 1976 after his police officer father was abruptly transferred to Osogbo in the old Oyo state.
He was previously scheduled to attend Abusi Odumare Secondary school In Ijebu Igbo, Ogun states, the school established by the late Ijebu business mogul Chief Timothy Odutuyo Kuti.
That twist of faith brought him in contact with teachers and school mates who inspired him to seek greatness in legal sanctuary.
As his friends recalled, J.O.K was clear about his dream to become a lawyer right from his secondary school days.
Even though Government was not offered as a subject then in St. Charles because the school was originally science -oriented, the Ila-Orangun lad was also reading the Nigerian constitution like a bible.
It was also the time when reading James Hardly Chase and Pace Setter series was popular among high school students. Justice Oyewole consumed them all.
One of his class mates, Cojo, described him as bibliophile with acute memory.
“Bunmi remembers detail of events without a struggle”.
Another friend Charlean Olawale Fadugba now a surgeon in the United States described him as being highly courageous and cerebral.
Justice Oyewole said his pathway might have been different had his father not changed plan to enroll him in St. Charles where he met the likes of his classmate Charlean Oyetade Adetoyese Oyebode with whom he competed in reading all the book in the library.
Charlean Oyetade said he sought out J.O.K when he heard that another students scored higher than him in Literature. That student was Justice Oyewole.
Oyetade himself is now a successful banker in the UK
Overall, the success of many Nigerians at home and abroad cannot be discussed without the Catholic Church’s contribution. The height attained by the likes of Justice Oyewole is directly linked to the Catholic Church’s commitment to scholarship.
This example contribution goes to show that religious body can do a lot in the transformation of society.
Therefore, this is a call to other religious denominations in Nigeria to study the playbook of the Catholic Church and raise a new generation of great Nigerians like Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole.
May the Lord grant Justice Oyewole wisdom and courage to perform his duty to the nation.
Congratulations, mi Lord!
Ajibola Amzat
September 20,2026
Photo Credit: Bankoke Adesina and the archive of the Supreme Court.
L-R: Charlean Wasiu Bello, Justice J.K.O. Oyewole, his wife Mrs. Oyewole, Charlean Akinjide Salami, Charlean Ajibola Amzat and Charlean Adebowale Agboola at MUSON Centre, Lagos during the celebration in honor of Justice Oyewole.
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