Black Wednesday: Former Nigeria’s Chief Justice dies in Abuja hospital

Residents of Abuja and indeed, Nigerians on Wednesday received with shock, the death of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloysius Katsina-Alu who reportedly died at the Orthopedic Hospital in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Kastina-Alu, an indigene of Ushongo local government area of Benue State succeeded Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi as CJN in December 2009

He died at the age of 76, about a month to his 77^th birthday scheduled for August  was on Wednesday reported dead who headed the Nigerian judiciary between 2009 and 2011, reportedly died at an Orthopaedic Hospital in Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday.

He took over the mantle of leadership of the judiciary within the period that late President Umaru Yar’Adua who was critically ill, failed to hand over to the then Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, a situation that made the then CJN, Kutigi, to perform the swearing-in ceremony on behalf of the absent President.

Katsina-Alu served as CJN till August 2011 when he was succeeded by the late Justice Dahiru Musdapher.

While confirming his death, media aide to the incumbent CJN, Mr. Awassam Bassey, said the news was relayed to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court by Katsina-Alu’s aide.

Bassey said his principal, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who is currently attending a conference in Canada, had yet to hear about the ex-CJN’s demise.

“I can confirm that the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Hadizatu Mustapha, sent me a WhatsApp message to that effect about an hour ago confirming the death of the former CJN.

“I have just called the Chief Registrar to confirm that this is indeed the situation; that the Personal Assistant of the former CJN called her at 3.00pm Nigerian time to inform her of the demise.

“However, it’s 3:30am here in Montreal, Canada, where His Lordship the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Mr. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, and other Justices of the Supreme Court and Chief Judges of some states, are attending a conference organized by the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, and I haven’t yet contacted the Hon. CJN for his reaction.

“I hope to do that as soon as he wakes up and get his reaction.”

It was gathered that the former CJN lost his wife, Mrs. Mimi Katsina-Alu in 2011 after a tree fell on her and the CJN in the Chief Justice’s hometown in Alu, Ushongo local government area of Benue state.

The couple it was learnt sat under a Mango tree the fateful night when a slight wind began in the area.

Mimi was said to have stood up and started running inside the main house when a heavy tree branch hit her on the head, another branch hit the CJN on the back causing him to fall down.

That fall by the Chief Justice saved his life as a bigger branch fell and shattered his empty chair.