Supreme Court Judges Reduced to 10 as Justice Dattijo Muhammad Retires

The bench of Supreme Court judges in Nigeria now stands at 10 as Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad formally bowed out of service.

In an official statement released by the Director of Information of the Supreme Court, Dr. Festus Akande, it was confirmed that a valedictory court session to honor Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad’s retirement is scheduled for Friday, October 27. This special event will take place at the main courtroom of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and is set to commence at 10.00 am.

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will preside over this significant court session, which will include tributes from prominent figures within the nation’s justice sector.

Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, who hails from Chanchaga Local Government Area in Niger State, was born on October 27, 1953, in Minna, the state’s capital. His educational journey began at Native Primary School, Minna, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate from 1960 to 1966.

Continuing his education, he attended Sheikh Sabbah College (now Sardauna Memorial Secondary School) in Kaduna between 1967 and 1971. This set the stage for his admission to Abdullahi Bayero College, Kano, where he completed a Pre-Degree program before securing a place in the Faculty of Law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and earning a law degree in 1977. He was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar on July 2, 1977. Seeking further qualifications, Justice Dattijo pursued an LLM degree at Warwick University in 1982, which he successfully completed in 1983.

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Justice Dattijo was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court on July 10, 2012. His distinguished career, marked by hard work, a deep passion for the law, unwavering dedication, and an uncompromising commitment to justice, led to his elevation to the Court of Appeal on November 21, 1998. During his service, he made significant contributions across various divisions.

With the retirement of Justice Dattijo, the responsibility for adjudicating pending appeals related to the 2023 general elections now falls on the 10 remaining justices. These distinguished judges include Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, as well as Justices Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Inyang Okoro, Adamu Jauro, Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Lawal Garba, Helen M. Ogunwumiju, I.N. Saulawa, Tijjani Abubakar, and Emmanuel Agim.