The Supreme Court of Nigeria has seen a reduction in its number of judges, now totaling 10, as Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad has retired from service.
The retirement of Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad will be commemorated with a valedictory court session scheduled for Friday, October 27 at 10:00 am in the main courtroom of the Supreme Court.
The special court session will be presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who will pay tribute to Justice Musa Dattijo, along with other key figures in the nation’s justice sector.
Justice Musa Dattijo is a native of Chanchaga Local Government Area in Niger State.
Born on October 27, 1953, in Minna, the capital of Niger, Justice Musa Dattijo began his education at the Native Primary School in Minna and completed his First School Leaving Certificate in 1966.
He then attended Sheikh Sabbah College (now Sardauna Memorial Secondary School) in Kaduna from 1967 to 1971.
Following this, he pursued a Pre-Degree program at Abdullahi Bayero College, Kano, and subsequently gained admission to the Faculty of Law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a degree in Law in 1977.
He was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 2, 1977.
Justice Dattijo pursued further studies, earning an LLM Degree from Warwick University in 1983.
He took the oath of office as a Justice of the Supreme Court on July 10, 2012.
His career progression to the Court of Appeal was a reflection of his dedication, passion for the legal profession, and the application of the law to cases that came before him.
Justice Dattijo was elevated to the Court of Appeal on November 21, 1998, after serving commendably in different Divisions within the Niger State Judiciary.
With Justice Dattijo’s retirement, the justices expected to hear the pending appeals related to the 2023 general elections include the 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.
