Sylvester Ngwuta, Supreme Court justice, dies few days to retirement

 

Sylvester Ngwuta, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, has died, few days to his retirement from the bench.

Justice Ngwuta, according to a statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mrs Hadiza Mustapha, died around 2.30 am, on Sunday, after a brief illness.

Mrs Mustapha clarified that the late Justice’s sickness was not connected to the coronavirus, having tested negative to the disease.

“The Supreme Court of Nigeria regrets to announce the death of the Hon. Mr. Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta, JSC, CFR, by 2.30am 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”, the statement read.

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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, according to the statement, has been deposited in the National Hospital mortuary pending arrangement for his burial.

The late Justice, 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.