A Justice of the Supreme Court (JSC) Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta has died in the early hours of Sunday in his official residence in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said Ngwuta was set to retire from the Supreme Court on March 30, 2021 upon attainment of 70 years mandatory retirement age.
Born in 1951 in Amofia-Ukawu, Onicha Local government Ebonyi State, Justice Ngwuta 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 197- and BL at the Nigerian law school in 1978.
He was a primary school teacher in 1966, before he became a clerical officer (Account Ministry of Education in (Divisional School Board, Afikpo) August 1971).
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.
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 and there promoted to the Court of Appeal on 22nd May, 2003, was finally sworn-in as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in May 2011.
Ngwuta was the chairman of judicial panel of inquiry into the Obegu Enyibichirikwo Disturbance 1997-1998 and has been a member of several Election Petition Tribunal, Governship and legislative House Election Petition Tribunal; Nasarawa State held at Lafia in February 1999, National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal Plateau State held at Jos in April 1999, among others.
He had received several awards such as Human Rights Awards by Human Rights Commission, Ebonyi state, on the World Human Right Day December 2000, Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award 2011/2012 by West African Students Union Parliament on 25th April, 2012, and Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) 2012.
Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta was happily married with children.
