President Muhammadu Buhari sends condolences to the family and friends of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu, who passed away on Wednesday.
President Buhari joins the government and people of Benue State, Nigerian Bar Association and National Judicial Council in mourning the erudite jurist, who contributed immensely to the structuring of Nigeria’s jurisprudence.
The President affirms that Justice Katsina-Alu’s knowledge, experience and diligence impacted greatly on governance in Nigeria as he featured prominently in landmark cases.
President Buhari believes the late Chief Justice left behind a legacy of discipline, brilliance and diligence that younger jurists should emulate.
A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant, Garba Shehu explained that the President prays that the almighty God will grant the soul of the departed a good rest and comfort his family.
Meanwhile, The Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, says the death of Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), has thrown the state into “total darkness, sadness and mourning”.
Katsina-Alu, who served as CJN between Dec. 2009 and August 2011, died on Wednesday, July 18. The Jurist, who hailed from Ushongo in Benue, was aged 78.
Ortom, in a statement on Wednesday in Makurdi, described the late CJN as “a peace-loving man, patriot and father, who built bridges for many others to cross”.
“The late jurist was a selfless Nigerian, who upheld the truth, equity and fairness while serving the country. His death is a huge blow to Nigeria in general and Benue in particular,” he said.
Mr Michael Aondokaa (SAN), former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, who also reacted to Katsina-Alu’s death, said that it was “shocking”.
He described the former CJN as the father of modern legal profession, saying that he would be “greatly missed”.
Chairman of Ushongo Local Government, Mr John Moughsha, who also reacted, said that the news was “devastating”.
“I had a personal relationship with him which dates back into the early 1970s.
“We first met in Lagos when he was with the Nigeria Ports Authority where I did my mandatory national service.
“He took me in as a junior member of his family and we got even closer thereafter.
“He was one of the leading lights in this local government (Ushongo), and was always ready to intervene in our quest for meaningful development,” he said.
A former Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Mr Terhile Ayua, in his reaction, described Katsina-Alu as “a colossus within the legal profession”.
“He was a brilliant jurist who left a rich legacy of landmark judicial pronouncements,” Ayua said.
According to him, the late CJN was “an embodiment of pristine virtues such as humility, honesty, compassion, hard work, and was one of Benue’s foremost ambassadors”.
Also expressing his grief, former Lagos Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, said that Katsina-Alu was gentle, peace loving and unassuming.
