Sad day as Supreme Court Justice Sylvester Ngwuta dies few weeks to retirement
- The Supreme Court of Nigeria has lost one of its own, Justice Syĺvester Nwali Ngwuta
- Ngwuta took his last breath on Sunday morning at his home in Abuja
- The apex court justice was 69-years-old and was getting ready for retirement at the end of March 2021 when he would have clocked 70
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The Supreme Court of Nigeria is in mourning following the loss of one of its Justices, Syĺvester Nwali Ngwuta.
According to TVC news report, 69-year-old Ngwuta died in his sleep.
Sources at the apex court were reported to have confirmed that he died in his sleep at his official residence in Abuja on the morning of Sunday, March 7.
Ngwuta, born in 1951, was preparing to retire from the Supreme Court on March 30, upon attainment of 70 years mandatory retirement age.
Source: Twitter
The Cable reports that Ahuraka Isah, spokesperson of the Supreme Court, said the justice who had been ill for some time.
According to him, Ngwuta’s illness took a turn for the worse and he was subsequently taken to the intensive care unit.
He, however, said the deceased tested negative for COVID-19.
Well-wishers mourn Ngwuta
Ngwuta's death came as a surprise to many of his colleagues and well-wishers who have taken to social media to mourn him.
Tony Atambi Esq with the Twitter handle @TonyAtambi wrote:
"Just received the sad news of the passing of one of our finest jurists, Hon. Justice Sylvester Ngwuta. My Lord Justice Ngwuta stood tall at the Supreme Court, bringing to bear quality erudition and fresh perspectives in his judgments. He'll be missed. Rest in peace, Milord."
@Waliyadeniran commented:
"Justice Sylvester Ngwuta was one of the brightest minds on the Supreme Court bench. It’s really unfortunate to hear of his demise just few months to his official retirement."
He was one of the justices whose homes were broken into by the Department of State Service (DSS) in 2016.
Recall that operatives of the DSS had in the early hours of Saturday, October 8, invaded residences of some judges in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Gombe in a bid to arrest them.
Faulting the invasion, Ngwuta had claimed that DSS raided his house because he rejected requests from Amaechi, Onu to pervert justice in Ekiti, Rivers and Ebonyi.
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Nkem Ikeke is a senior editor at Legit.ng with over 8 years of experience. She is a graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Music, books and her sewing machine keep her busy when she's not copy-editing or writing for Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
