The number of Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria has dropped to 10 following the retirement of Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Muhammad, who joined the bench of the Supreme Court over a decade ago, retires on 27 October, further reducing the number of Justices of the Supreme Court.
Recall the number of judges in the Supreme Court reduced from 20 to 14 in June 2022 when Justice Tanko Muhammad, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), abruptly resigned.
According to a statement by the Director of Information of the Supreme Court, Dr Festus Akande, a valedictory court session will hold for Muhammad on Friday.
TNG learnt the valedictory court session will be held at the main courtroom of the Supreme Court of Nigeria at 10.00 am.
“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,” the statement reads.
Akande further stated that the jurist was born on Tuesday, October 27, 1953, in Minna, Niger State.
“He 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 for 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 above all, 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,” the statement further reads.
TNG reports Muhammad is the second most senior judge on the court’s bench.