Supreme Court judges down to 10 as Justice Dattijo retires

Justice Musa Datijo Muhammed will retire from the Supreme Court on Friday.

The Supreme Court’s Director of Press and Information, Festus Akande, confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

He said the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kayode Ariwoola, would preside over the valedictory session for the jurist.

Muhammed’s exit reduced the number of justices in the apex court from 11 to 10.

The apex court has lost up to six justices to death and retirements in the last few months.

Those retired from the Supreme Court’s bench include the former CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammed, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Justice Mary Odili, Justice Ejembi Eko, and Justice Abdu Aboki.

The duo of Justices Chima Nweze and Sylvester Ngwuta died in service.

The statement read: “The special court session is to be presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who will customarily, pay tribute to Justice Musa Dattijo alongside other major stakeholders in the nation’s justice sector.

“Justice Musa Dattijo hails from Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State.

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“He was born on Tuesday, October 27, 1953, in Minna, capital of Niger.

“The jurist attended Native Primary School, Minna from 1960 to 1966 for his First School Leaving Certificate.”

“Between 1967 and 1971, he was at Sheikh Sabbah College (now Sardauna Memorial Secondary School), Kaduna, from where he proceeded to Abdullahi Bayero College, Kano for a Pre-Degree programme which aided his immediate admission into the Faculty of Law at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he bagged a degree in Law in 1977.

“He was called to the Nigerian Bar on 2nd July 1977. Not satisfied with only a first Degree in Law, Justice Dattijo sought admission at Warwick University in 1982 for an LLM Degree which he obtained in 1983.

“He took the oath of office as Justice of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, 10th July 2012. His ascension to the Court of Appeal was more of a reward for hard work, inherent passion for his chosen profession, dedication to duty, and a resolute application of the law in its true letters and words to all cases that came to him.

“He earned a well-deserved elevation to the Court of Appeal on November 21, 1998, from the Niger State Judiciary, and served meritoriously at different Divisions.”

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