BREAKING: Supreme Court Justice Ngwuta is dead!

Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court has passed on in his sleep, at his official residence in Abuja today.

Ngwuta, from Ebonyi state was appointed to the Supreme Court in May 2011 and was due to retire on 30 March, 2021, on his 70th birthday.

In 2016, his home in Abuja, along with the homes of six other judges, was raided by DSS operatives, on suspicion of corruption.

He was later suspended from the court during his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The trials were later suspended following a judgement of the Court of Appeal.

Ngwuta was born in 1951 in Amofia-Ukawu, Onicha Local government Ebonyi State.

He had his basic education in the Eastern part of Nigeria and got his LLB in University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University). lle-ife in 1976 and BL at the Nigerian law school in 1978.

He was deployed as the state counsel in charge, Ministry of justice, Oturkpo, Benue State, during his National Youth Service Programme in August 1978-October 1979.

After his NYSC year, he started his private legal practice at Abakaliki in July 1978-October 1995, from where he was appointed a judge of the High Court Abia state in October 1995.

He was promoted to the Court of Appeal on 22nd May, 2003, and sworn-in as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in May 2011.