Ex-Federal High Court Chief Judge, Kafatati, is dead As Tsoho Mourns

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, gave his last breath on Thursday night after observing the evening prayer.

A statement by a family source, who announced his passing, read: “Innalillahi Wa inna ilaihi Rajiun.

“It is with deep sorry 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 magrib Salat at Abuja.”

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

Already, the court activities at the Abuja division of the court had been stalled over the unfortunate incidents.

NAN observes that as a mark of honour to the departed, none of the courts in the high-rise building was sitting as at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Chief Judge, Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tsoho, on Friday, expressed sadness over the death of Justice Adamu Abdu Kafarati.

Justice Tsoho, in a statement by Catherine Oby-Nwandu, Chief Information Officer of FHC, described the late Kafarati as “humble and forthright in all his dealings.”

Tsoho informed that Kafarati, who was the immediate-past chief judge of the court, died of cardiac arrest.

“With great sadness, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Honorable Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, regrets to announce the sudden death of the former Chief Judge of this honourable court.

“Honourable Justice ADAMU ABDU KAFARATI passed on last night at about 7:30 pm being 25th February, 2021 after his usual evening Magrib Prayer in Abuja.

“The Late Justice died of Cardiac arrest,” the statement said.

Justice Tsoho said the late judge was a calm, gentle and courageous man.

“The pain of the exit of Late Justice Adamu Abdu Kafarati will be felt by the court and as well as the country at large,” he added.

He prayed that the Almighty God would grant his immediate family, relatives and friends the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Born on the July 25, 1954 at Kwami, Gombe State, Abdu Kafarati was appointed to the Federal High Court Bench on Oct. 31, 1991.

He became the acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court on September 16, 2017, and was confirmed as the substantive Chief Judge on June 19, 2018.

Kafarati retired from the FHC bench on the July 25, 2019.