Kafarati, ex-Federal High Court Chief Judge, is dead

The immediate-past Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, is dead.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that Justice Kafarati, who was once the Attorney General of Bauchi State, took his last breath on Thursday night after observing the evening prayer.

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His family announced his passing in a statement which, read: “Innalillahi Wa inna ilaihi Rajiun.

“It is with deep sorrow that I announced the passing away of our elder statesman, Hon Justice Abdul Kafarati the immediate-past Chief Justice of High Court of the Federation and former Bauchi State Attorney General which occurred this night (Thursday) after Maghrib Salat at Abuja.”

The jurist retired on July 25, 2019, on attaining the mandatory statutory retirement age of 65.

Meanwhile, activities at the Abuja division of the court were stalled over the unfortunate incident.

As a mark of honour to the departed, none of the courts in the high-rise building had sat at the time of filing this report.

In a judgment on January 18, 2018, the judge refused to vacate the order he made on September 20, 2017, proscribing the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Kafarati held that the Federal Government was right in issuing the order based on the activities of IPOB prelude to the proscription.

The judge held that the memo was written by the Attorney General of the Federation upon which the president gave the approval stands.

The Federal Government issued the proscription order after South-East Governors banned activities of the pro-Biafra movement in South-Eastern state in September 2017. (NAN)