The second edition of the Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam Moot Court Competition brought together leading lights of the legal profession, as law students from Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI) and Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki, showcased exceptional advocacy and intellectual rigour.
The event, hosted by AE-FUNAI, was graced by senior members of the Bar and Bench from the Calabar and Enugu Divisions of the Court of Appeal.
Declaring the competition open, the Vice-Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Prof. Daniel Nwachukwu, said hosting the contest for a second time reflects the growing reputation of the university’s Faculty of Law and the confidence of the legal community in the institution.
He commended Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, Presiding Judge, Court of Appeal, Calabar Division, for instituting the competition, describing it as “an investment in the future of the legal profession.”
“Your vision ensures that law students do not merely memorize statutes, but learn to think, argue, and persuade like advocates
“Mooting bridges the gap between classroom theory and courtroom reality. It sharpens research skills, hones oral advocacy, and instills the discipline of legal drafting”, Prof. Nwachukwu said.
He also thanked Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, for his administration’s education-focused policies, particularly the Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme under the People’s Charter of Needs.
Justice Onyemenam in her speech said the competition’s significance lies not in prizes, but in reaffirming the role of legal education and advocacy in shaping the justice system.
“The strength of every democratic society depends significantly on the quality of its lawyers and judges
“Where lawyers are diligent, ethical and courageous, justice flourishes. Where they grow silent, complacent or corrupt, society does not just bend, it breaks”, she said.
She described moot court competitions as “laboratories for the development of legal excellence and a strategic tool in nation building”.
In his remarks delivered by the Deputy Governor, Princess Patricia Onyemaechi Obila, Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru stated that naming the competition after a serving jurist, “turns an accolade into an active standard.”
He noted that Justice Onyemenam “embodies the intellectual rigour and ethical clarity the legal profession requires,” adding that competing under her name is “an explicit commitment to mirror her landmark juristic excellence.”
Nwifuru urged participants to treat the competition with “absolute gravity,” stressing that law demands “evidence over assumption and principle over convenience.”
He advised students to engage the bench with “intellectual humility, precision and courtesy,” and to “learn from every setback with the composure that marks a professional.”
After keenly contested sessions, AE-FUNAI won the Mock Court Trial, while EBSU clinched victory in the Moot Court Competition.
For individual honours, Okuocha Ikechukwu Samuel of AE-FUNAI emerged Best Counsel, Mock Court Trial, while Nwofe Faustina Uzoma, also of AE-FUNAI, won Best Counsel, Moot Court Competition.
The Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam Moot Court Competition continues to foster academic collaboration, healthy institutional rivalry, and excellence among law students, underscoring the brilliance and potential of Nigeria’s future legal professionals.
