Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court of Nigeria is dead. The Hon. Justice died on Sunday after a yet-to-be-determined illness.

The senior judge was preparing for his retirement since he would have attained the retirement age for judges of the apex court which is 70 years on March 30, 2021.

A statement announcing Ngwuta’s demise was sent out by the Supreme Court. It read:

JUSTICE NGWUTA PASSES ON

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.

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

His remains have been deposited in the National Hospital mortuary pending the arrangements for his burial. Hon. Justice Ngwuta who was appointed Supreme Court Justice on March 22, 2011 was born on March 30, 1951 in Amofia-Ukawu, Onicha Local government of Ebonyi State. His lordship had his basic education in the Eastern part of Nigeria and got his LLB in University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University). lle-ife in 1977 and BL at the Nigerian Law School in 1978.

May the late Hon. Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta rest in perfect peace and may God grant his family, Judiciary and the apex court the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Hadizatu Uwani Mustapha, Esq
Chief Registrar
Supreme Court of Nigeria