Supreme Court Justice Who Cleared Saraki Of False Asset Declaration Charges To Retire October 27

A Supreme Court Justice, Musa Dattijo, will retire from the bench on October 27, 2023 at age 70, having served for 47 years since 1976, according to information on the National Judicial Council website.

Dattijo had presided over the Supreme Court panel which quashed the assets falsification charges the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) instituted against former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

The CCT had in 2017 discharged Saraki of all the false assets declaration charges but the Court of Appeal held he had a case to answer in some of the counts.

But when the case reached the Supreme Court, the apex court set aside the verdict of the appeal court with Dattijo observing that ” it is imperative that whenever we proceed against any person on allegations of corruption, it must be done according to the law.”

The Supreme Court spokesperson, Festus Akande, announced Dattijo’s retirement, adding a valedictory session will be held in his honour in line with tradition.

Dattijo’s retirement will reduce the number of Supreme Court Justices to 10.

Relevant Nigerian laws provide that the apex court should be occupied by 21 Justices to enable it function efficiently.

The statement read, “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.

“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,” Akande stated.