By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The immediate past Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, is dead.
The jurist, who retired on July 25, 2019 on attaining the mandatory statutory retirement age of 65, died on Thursday after observing the evening prayer at the age of 67. He was said to have died in his Abuja home.
Abdu-Kafarati succeeded then Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta (retired) in September 2017 and retired on July, 2019, barely two years in office as the Federal High Court Chief Judge.
Recall that Justice Kafarati was the same Judge who gave the landmark ruling which approved the proscription of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group in the country.
While acting as Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdu Kafarati in September 2017, granted an order proscribing the pro-Biafra group-Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
This was one of his first assignments on taking over as the chief judge.
In that same ruling, the court had declared and held that all activities of the group known and addressed as ‘IPOB’ in Nigeria, particularly in the South-east or South-south regions, constitutes “an act of terrorism.”
As the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Kafarati in September 2017, granted an order proscribing the pro-Biafra group-Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). It was one of his first assignments on taking over as the chief judge.
In the same ruling, the court had declared and held that all activities of the group known and addressed as ‘IPOB’ in Nigeria, particularly in the South-east or South-south regions, constitutes “an act of terrorism.”
The ruling went further to restrain any person or group of persons from taking part in any of the group’s activities.
The court had granted the orders proscribing IPOB after hearing an ex-parte application filed and argued by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, (SAN).
TheNiche gathered that the late jurist who hailed from Kwami in Bauchi State will be buried today after the Juma’at prayers at Janazah.
