Ex-Court of Appeal President, Mamman Nasir, dies at 90

• He was a paragon of humility, says Buhari
• He’ll be remembered for commitment to national unity, selfless service – ACF

A former President of the Court of Appeal, retired Justice Mamman Nasir died yesterday, aged 90.

Nasir who, until his death was also the Hakimi Malumfashi (District Head) and Galadima Katsina, passed on at about 12 noon in Katsina .

He was buried at about 6.30pm in Malumfashi, according to Islamic rites.

The Information Officer, Katsina Emirate Council, Alhaji Ibrahim Bindawa, said Nasir died at the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, following a protracted illness.

President Muhammadu Buhari described the death of Justice Mamman Nasir, as not only “a loss to the judiciary, but also the country at large, because of his remarkable commitment to public service’’.

In a condolence message, he said the deceased belonged to a generation of judges and justices who perceived public office as an opportunity to offer selfless service to the country and its people.

“Nasir and Judges of their golden age were more interested in leaving untainted record of integrity than accumulation of wealth overnight,” he said.

“When you look at Nasir’s modest lifestyle and his incredibly humble possessions, you would be disarmed at once by his honesty and patriotism.

“While some Nigerians perceive public office as an opportunity to line their pockets, men of Nasir’s character put a higher premium on honest labour than on greedy accumulation of questionable wealth overnight.’’

The retired justice, who was born in 1929, attended Kaduna College where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate in 1947 before proceeding to the University of Ibadan where he obtained a certificate in Latin.

He later attended the Council of Legal Education in London for his bachelor’s degree in Law in 1956, and was called to the bar in the same year.

He returned to Nigeria in 1956 and was appointed a Crown Counsel.

He was made Minister of Justice, Northern Nigeria, a position he held for five years before he became the Director of Public Prosecution, Northern Region in 1967, the same year he was appointed Solicitor-General, North Central State, and now Kaduna State.

Late Justice Nasir held this position for seven years before he was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1975.

In 1978, he was appointed President of the Court of Appeal, a position he held until he retired in 1992 and was turbaned as Galadima of Katsina on May 9, 1992.

During the General Abacha regime, he was appointed Chairman, Transition to Civil Rule. He left behind three wives, 13 children and many grandchildren

In her reaction, the mouthpiece of Northern Nigeria, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), said Nasir will be remembered for his commitment towards national unity and selfless service to the country.

The forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, in his statement, described Justice Nasir as an embodiment of hard work, diligence, selfless service and above all loyalty to the cause of nation building.

The forum said in the statement that “The North and indeed Nigeria has lost one of its finest elder statesmen, a bridge builder and a leader who lived a simple and humble life. He needs no thumb stone to remind us of his legacies. Yet the best remembrance is for those he has left behind to live up what he stood for.

“ACF extends its condolences to the Justice Nasir’s family, the government and the good people of Katsina State and all Nigerians over the demise of Galadiman Katsina, Justice Nasir.

“May Allah (SWT) grant his gentle soul perfect rest in Aljannah Firdaus and for all of us the fortitude to bear this great loss,” ACF said.