Barely few hours to the hearing of appeals in the petitions filed by three presidential candidates challenging the outcome of the February 25 election, Justice Musa Dattijo of the Supreme Court will officially retire from the bench on Friday, October 27, 2023.
The apex court spokesperson, Festus Akande, announced Dattijo’s retirement on Sunday in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja.
Akande said that a valedictory court session would be held in his honour on Friday at the Main Courtroom of the apex court and will be presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola.
The statement reads: “The valedictory court session to mark the retirement of justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad from the Supreme Court Bench comes up on Friday, 27th October 2023, at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“The Special Court Session is to be presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, who will customarily, pay tribute to Justice Musa Dattijo alongside other major stakeholders in the nation’s justice sector.
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“Justice Musa Dattijo, who hails from Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State, was born on Tuesday, October 27, 1953, in Minna.
“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 21st November 1998 from the Niger State Judiciary, and served meritoriously at different Divisions.”
With this development, the apex court has been reduced to 10 justices, 11 short of the 21 stipulated by Section 230(2) of the 1999 Constitution.
