Supreme Court Justice, Sylvester Ngwuta, is dead

Etim Effiong

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, is dead. He died few days to his retirement from the bench of the apex court.

A statement from the Supreme Court revealed that the late Justice died around 2.30 am on Sunday.

According to the statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mrs Hadiza Mustapha, late Justice Ngwuta died after a brief illness.

Mrs Mustapha, however, said that the late Justice’s sickness was not connected to the coronavirus.

The statement read: “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.”

It was learnt that Justice Ngwuta was due to retire from the Supreme Court bench on attaining mandatory retirement age of 70 years on March 30, 2021.

The statement noted that his remains have been deposited in the National Hospital mortuary pending arrangement for his burial.

Late 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 BL at the Nigerian law school in 1978.

The apex court however prayed God to grant the soul of late Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta rest in perfect peace and help his family, Judiciary, and the supreme court to bear the irreparable loss.