A Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta, has passed away in the early hours of Sunday.
According to a statement from the apex court signed by Chief Registrar of Supreme Court, Mrs Hadiza Mustapha, Ngwuta died after a brief illness around 2.30am this morning.
Mrs Mustapha however noted that the late Justice’s sickness was not connected to the coronavirus.
The statement reads:
The Supreme Court of Nigeria regret to announce the death of the Hon. Mr. Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta, JSC, CFR, by 2.30 am of Sunday March 7, 2021.
He felt sick and was admitted in the last one week in the National Hospital, Abuja, but before he was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital on Friday March 5 he tested negative to COVID-19 investigative test conducted on him.
His body, according to the statement, has been deposited in National Hospital mortuary pending arrangement for his burial.
The apex court then prayed God to grant the soul of Justice Ngwuta perfect rest and help his family, Judiciary and the supreme court to bear the irreparable loss.
Sadly, Justice Ngwuta died few days to his retirement from the bench of the apex court. He was due to exit the Supreme Court bench on attaining mandatory retirement age of 70 years on March 30, 2021.
Justice Ngwuta, who was appointed Supreme Court Justice on March 22, 2011, was born on March 30, 1951 in Amofia-Ukawu, Onicha Local government area of Ebonyi State.
He had his basic education in the Eastern part of Nigeria and got his LLB at University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University) lle-ife in 1977 and went to Nigerian law school in 1978.
Justice Ngwuta was deployed as the state counsel in charge, Ministry of Justice, Oturkpo, Benue State, during his National Youth Service Programme in August 1978-October 1979.
After his NYSC, he started his private legal practice at Abakaliki in July 1978-October 1995, from where he was appointed a judge of High Court in Abia state in October 1995.
Justice Ngwuta was promoted to the Court of Appeal on 22nd May, 2003, and sworn-in as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in May 2011.
In 2016, his home in Abuja, along with the homes of six other judges, was raided by DSS operatives, on suspicion of corruption.
Justice Ngwuta was later suspended from the court during his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The trials were later suspended following a judgement of the Court of Appeal.
