G. B. A. Coker

Chief George Baptist Ayodola Coker (27 January 1917 – 7 February 1991) was a Justice of the Nigerian Supreme Court, serving from 1964 until 1975. He was an author of two books: Family Property among the Yorubas, and a lecture series, Freedom and Justice.

He was the Olori Eyo of the Adimu, the highest position in the Eyo cultural masquerade in the Nigerian chieftaincy system, and in 2000 there was a festival celebrating his life. He was also the Baba Isale of Lagos.

Life
A Saro, Coker was born in Lagos as the son of George Baptist Coker. He was a great-great grandchild of Daniel Coker, a freed slave that emigrated to Sierra Leone and was a key figure in the creation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) in 1816, which became the first independent black denomination in the United States. When Coker arrived in Sierra Leone in 1820, he became the first Methodist Missionary from a Western nation. There, Coker founded the West Africa Methodist Church.

Chief G.B.A Coker's siblings included Mr. F.C.O. Coker, a future charted accountant, Lagos Municipal Treasurer and Secretary to the first Lagos State Government; Mrs. Oye Akintola-Williams (Mama MUSON), who later became a professional health nurse, patron of the arts and ardent environmentalist. She was married to Chief Akintola Williams CBE, the first indigenous African chartered accountant and regularly described as the Doyen of Nigerian Accountancy. As brothers-in-law, Chief Coker and Chief Williams worked together on many occasions and Williams was involved in the Coker Commission. G.B.A. Coker's remaining siblings would include Mrs. Hilda Omolola Johnson SRN, SCM, a future founder and matron of Logemo Hospital; Chief H.T.O. Coker SAN, OON, who later became a successful lawyer and who won many cases against the likes of Chief Frederick Rotimi Williams; and Chief (Dr.) F.B.A. Coker, OON, KJW, a future consultant obstetrician and gynecologist, chairman, Victoria Island Consultancy and Hospital Services, and successful businessman. Chief (Dr.) F.B.A. Coker would grow up to be a titan in the Nigerian medical field with an international reputation; his hospital carried out the autopsy of Moshood Abiola and was involved in a number of other high-profile operations. He was also the senior gynaecologist to multiple Nigerian Presidents.

Chief Coker was educated at Olowogbowo Wesleyan Primary School, Lagos from 1924 to 1928 and he then attended Methodist Boys High School, Lagos from 1929 to 1931, he finished his secondary education as one of the foundational students of Igbobi College. Thereafter, he worked briefly as a civil servant and later as a teacher. He later proceeded to London to earn a law degree and was called to the bar in 1947. He obtained a Ph.D. in law in 1955. Coker had a lucrative law practice in Lagos before he was appointed to the bench of High Court of Lagos in 1958.

In 1962, during a political crisis in the Western region of Nigeria, Coker was appointed by Moses Majekodunmi, the sole administrator of the region to chair a commission of enquiry into the affairs of some statutory corporations. The commission was viewed by some as an instrument to discredit the Awolowo faction of the Action Group. However, in the final report of the enquiry, it found Awolowo culpable in the diversion of regional funds to finance the Action Group but exonerated Akintola, which made it easier for the latter to be reinstated as Premier of the region. This became known as the Coker Commission. He became a justice of the Nigerian Supreme Court in 1964. At the apex court, Coker was notable for his judgements in stay of execution pending judgement cases. Two notable cases of the nature were Vaswani v Savalakh and Utilgas Nigerian And Overseas Gas Co. Ltd.v. Pan African Bank Ltd.

Coker was a member of the Methodist Church in Tinubu, Lagos.