Buhari, Saraki, others mourn as ex-CJN Katsina-Alu dies at 77

President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Vice Preasident Atiku Abubakar, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other prominent Nigerians on Wednesday, mourned the death of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu, who died at the age of 77.

The death of the late CJN, who hailed from Benue State was confirmed on Wednesday morning by the office of the CJN.

In his condolence message made available on Wednesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr
Garba Shehu, Buhari condoled with the government and people of Benue State, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and National Judicial Council over the passage of the erudite jurist, who he said contributed immensely to the structuring of Nigeria’s jurisprudence.

According to the President, the late Justice Katsina-Alu’s knowledge, experience and diligence impacted greatly on governance in Nigeria as he featured prominently in landmark cases.

Shehu said “President Buhari believes the late CJN left behind a legacy of discipline, brilliance and diligence that younger jurists should emulate.

“The President prays that the almighty God will grant the soul of the departed a good rest and comfort his family”.

In a related development, the Senate President, Dr Olusola Saraki, has expressed deep sorrow over the demise of the former CJN.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki described the late CJN as a patriotic and diligent public servant whose many well considered judgements enriched the nation’s jurisprudence and contributed immensely to national development.

He commiserated with the family of the deceased, the Tiv nation, the judiciary, the government and people of Benue State over the sad incident.

Saraki said: “We have lost a worthy and exemplary Nigerian. We have lost a legal luminary whose numerous contributions to the development of the nation’s judiciary cannot be quantified.

“It is regrettable that he left us at a time his experience and wise counsel would have been invaluable in tackling critical national challenges confronting the country.”

Saraki also prayed to God to grant the soul of the late CJN peaceful rest and his family and loved ones the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar while mourning the death of Justice Katsina-Alu, described the news of his death as shocking and saddening.

Atiku noted that the late CJN was a remarkable patriot who served the country well both as a soldier and later on, as member of the bench where he rose to the pinnacle of his career.

Atiku said, “No doubt Nigeria has lost a remarkable patriot in Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu. My condolences go to the Katsina-Alu family, the people and government of Benue State and the Supreme Court of Nigeria over the demise.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) also in a press statement signed by the party’s spokesman, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi on the death of the late jurist, commiserated with his immediate family, the people and government of Benue State, and indeed all Nigerians, over the sad and irreparable loss of the great statesman whom the party described as a legal luminary and patriot.

The APC said, “We recall that Katsina-Alu, who served as CJN from December 30, 2009, to August 28, 2011, was an impartial and thorough justice.

As a jurist, his contributions to the development of the Nigerian legal system cannot be quantified. He delivered numerous landmark judgments, wrote many legal papers and mentored several young lawyers.

“As a statesman, the late Katsina-Alu often put national interest above self and other considerations. We have indeed lost a good man who was non-partisan, honest and frank that will be sorely missed, especially now that the country needs his wise counsel and stabilizing voice.”

The late Justice Katsina-Alu was born on August 28, 1941 and hailed from Ushongo in Benue State.

He began his legal career in his home state and gradually rose through the Bench of the Benue State High Court from where he was named Justice of the Court of Appeal (JCA). He was thereafter, appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court (JSC) in 1998.

Justice Katsina- Alu was appointed as the 12th CJN on December 30, 2009 and retired on August 28, 2011.

At the time of filing this report, a tribute was being expected from the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who along with other justices are attending an international conference in Montreal, Canada, organized by the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law.

In a tribute by Sebastine Hon (SAN), the senior lawyer expressed shock at the sudden demise of the former CJN.

While commending his enormous contributions to justice administration in Nigeria, Hon described the late CJN as “a very upright man;

his lordship was the first Tiv-speaking Attorney-General of Benue State, the first Tiv-speaking Judge of the Benue State High Court, the first Tiv-speaking Justice of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and the first Tiv-speaking CJN who left indelible landmarks”.

He recalled that late Justice Katsina-Alu was trained in the British legal tradition of brevity, laced with deepness, adding that his lordship’ s judgements on the Bench “were brief, incisive and straight to the point, thereby rendering justice without much stress.

Hon said, “He played a major role in the resource control suits, the Atiku survivalist litigations, the Rotimi Amaechi k-leg survivalist litigation that enamoured the National Assembly to reshape the Electoral Act, 2010 and in several other public-interest suits.

“I can also say without blinking an eye that his brief stay as the CJN saw to the peaking of welfare packages for judiciary staff, especially his colleagues on the Supreme Court Bench. Above all, he was God-fearing and was one who opened his doors to the poor and needy.”