13 Facts About Arthur Prest

Chief Arthur Edward Prest was an Itsekiri politician of biracial heritage from the Warri division of southern Nigeria.

Arthur Prest was an officer in the Nigerian police force, and the first Nigerian commissioned police officer.

Arthur Prest studied law in England, and registered at the supreme court of Nigeria in 1947, prior to his nomination as a representative of the Warri district in the Western Regional House of Assembly.

Arthur Prest was later made regional minister at Ibadan and was deputy leader to Obafemi Awolowo, he was appointed federal minister for communications in 1952.

Arthur Prest was High Commissioner for the Federation of Nigeria to the UK.

In 1971, Arthur Prest was involved in a prominent court case.

Arthur Prest challenged the Itsekiri Communal Lands Trust which wanted to use the purported overlord rights of the Olu of Warri over lands in Warri.

Arthur Prest was given the chieftaincy title of the Olorogun of Warri by the Olu of Warri in 1946.

Arthur Prest became a High Court Judge in the then Mid Western Region.

Chief Arthur Prest had a rich and full family life.

Arthur Prest had several children, the most prominent being his first son Chief Michael Godwin Prest who became a successful lawyer, politician and Chief of Staff to Nigerian President Shehu Shagari in 1979.

Arthur Prest's eldest child, is Helen Prest-Ajayi, a former Miss Nigeria in 1979, lawyer, author and literacy advocate; while his son Michael J Prest is a trained barrister, Nigeria's first oil trader, foremost oil and gas mogul and philanthropist.

Arthur Prest was the architect of the landmark company law case of Prest v Petrodel Resources Ltd taught in every law school around the world and defined the direction of company law.