JUST-IN: High Court Judge Dies After Sudden Collapse At Home

Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Kano Division, has died.

The judge reportedly slumped in his living room at his residence on Thursday evening and was rushed to a hospital, where medical personnel confirmed him dead.

According to Daily Trust, sources within the Federal High Court in Abuja confirmed the development on Saturday, noting that the late jurist had since been buried on Friday in accordance with Islamic rites.

“Yes, the judge died Thursday evening and he has been buried. He was very hardworking during his lifetime. You know he handled many high-profile cases and dispensed justice accordingly,” one of the sources said.

The Director of Information of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Catherine Oby Christopher, also confirmed the incident, stating that Justice Yunusa died at the State Medical Centre in Kano.

Until his death, Justice Yunusa presided over several notable and politically sensitive cases.

Among the high-profile matters he handled was a suit that emerged after the 2023 general election concerning the candidacy of Labour Party (LP) members across the country, including the then Abia State governor-elect, Alex Otti.

The case followed a legal action instituted by one Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim, who asked the court to revoke and set aside certificates of return issued to Labour Party candidates, who were declared winners in Kano State, the 35 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The respondents in the suit were the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

While the court had nullified the election of Labour Party candidates in Kano State, Justice Yunusa clarified that candidates who participated in the elections in Abia State were not parties to the suit before his court.

“This court lacks jurisdiction to make an order for the issuance of certificate of return. They are at liberty to seek redress in the appropriate Division of the court,” the judge had ruled at the time.

Colleagues and associates described the late judge as diligent and committed to the dispensation of justice.