Idris Legbo Kutigi (31 December 1939 – 21 October 2018) was a
Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
lawyer and jurist. He was
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State before becoming a high court judge. He joined the
Supreme Court of Nigeria
The Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) is the highest court in Nigeria, and is located in the Central District, Abuja, in what is known as the Three Arms Zone, so called due to the proximity of the offices of the Presidential Complex, the National Ass ...
in 1992 and served as
Chief Justice from 30 January 2007 to 30 December 2009.
Early life and education
Born in
Kutigi
Kutigi is a town in central Nigeria, border to Bida, makwo and north of the Niger River. The countryside is generally flat with rolling hills, with grassland and trees.
It is the headquarters of Lavun, Lavun Local Government Area in Niger State, N ...
,
North-Western State North-Western State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 27 May 1967 from parts of the Northern Region and existed until 3 February 1976, when it was divided into two states - Niger and Sokoto. The city of Sokoto was th ...
(now located in the
Lavun Local Government Area of
Niger State
Niger is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. Niger state has three political zones, zone A,B and C. The state's capital is at Minna. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. It was fo ...
), Kutigi attended elementary school in that town and middle and secondary school in
Bida
Bida is a Local Government Area in Niger State, Nigeria and a city on the A124 highway which occupies most of the area.
The LGA has an area of and a population of 188,181 at the 2006 census.
The postal code of the area is 912.
The city
Bida i ...
.
[ He then moved on to Government College (now known as ]Barewa College
Barewa College is a college in Zaria, Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. Founded in 1921 by British Governor General Hugh Clifford, it was originally known as Katsina College. It switched its name to Kaduna College in 1938 and to Government College, ...
), and then to Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is a federal government research university in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on 4 October 1962, as the pioneer university in Northern Nigeria. It was founded and named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, Al ...
(both in Zaria
Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria which at the present time lies within four (4) local government areas in Kaduna state; it happens to be the capital city to the Zazzau Emirate Council, and one of the original seven Hausa city-states ...
, Kaduna State
Kaduna State ( ha, Jihar Kaduna جىِهَر كَدُنا; ff, Leydi Kaduna, script=Latn, ; kcg, Sitet Kaduna) is a state in northern Nigeria. The state capital is its namesake, the city of Kaduna which happened to be the 8th largest city in ...
). He left the country for England, where he studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies
SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury ar ...
, University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
and Gibson and Weldon
Gibson and Weldon was a law practice at 27 Chancery Lane in London and the name of its tutorial firm which from 1876 until 1962 prepared hundreds of thousands of future solicitors and barristers in England and Wales for their examinations. Gibson a ...
, before returning to attend the Nigerian Law School
The Nigerian Law School is an educational institution set up by the Government of Nigeria in 1962 to provide a Nigerian legal education to foreign-trained lawyers, and to provide practical training for aspiring Legal Practitioners in Nigeria. ...
in Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
, Lagos State
Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, states, it is both the List of Nigerian states by population, most populous and List of Nigerian state ...
.[ He was called to the bar in approximately 1964.]
Career
Kutigi was the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, North-Western State in 1976 and later became the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State as well as the Director of public Prosecution, three positions he held concurrently between 1976- 1977 before becoming a high court judge. He was elevated to the Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
in 1992 and was later appointed in 2002 by President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Olusegun Obasanjo
Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its pres ...
as the Chief Justice of Nigeria
The Chief Justice of Nigeria or CJN is the head of the judicial arm of the government of Nigeria, and presides over the country's Supreme Court and the National Judicial Council. The current Chief Justice is Olukayode Ariwoola who was appo ...
to succeed the outgoing Salihu Alfa Belgore. Belgore retired on 17 January 2002 and Kutigi succeeded him on 30 January 2002, after being confirmed by the Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. he amended the 1979 Fundamental Human Enforcement Procedure Rules that later became the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009.
Kutigi retired on 30 December 2009, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. He swore in his successor, Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu. The President of Nigeria usually swears in the Chief Justice, but President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (16 August 19515 May 2010) was a Nigerian politician who, was the President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. He was declared the winner of the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 20 ...
was not available on this occasion due to ill health. He afterwards returned to serve as a high court judge until his death in October 2018. Kutingi also continued to attend Council of State
A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...
meetings held at the decision of the president.
In 2014 he was appointed chairman of the National Conference on constitutional matters by President Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957)Lawson Heyford, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006. is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to fo ...
. His appointment was widely welcomed by those on all sides of the Nigerian political spectrum with praise coming for his impartiality and fair handedness.[ On 12 June 2014 he stepped in to separate northern and southern politicians who almost came to blows during a conference meeting over a disagreement on holding a one minute silence to honour those that died during the 1993 presidential election. Kutigi later described the conference as the "most arduous" to have been held in Nigeria's history due to the short length of time, four and a half months, that had been allowed for it. By its conclusion more than 600 resolutions had been addressed covering points of law, public policy and the constitution. The findings were presented in a 22-volume, 10,335-page document.
]
Personal life
Kutigi had 18 children and more than 40 grandchildren. He died in a London hospital on 21 October 2018 following a short period of illness.
A street in the Federal Capital Territory
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
was named in his honour in April 2015. The Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna
Minna is a city in Middle Belt Nigeria. It is the capital city of Niger State, one of Nigeria's 36 federal states. It consists of two major ethnic groups: the Gbagyi and the Nupe.
History
Archaeological evidence suggests settlement in the ...
is also named for him.
As a mark of honour following his death the Nigerian flag was ordered to be flown at half mast at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the official residence of the chief justice, all judicial institutions and courts of records for seven days. A book of condolence was opened at the premises of the Supreme Court.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kutigi, Idris Legbo
1939 births
2018 deaths
Alumni of SOAS University of London
Supreme Court of Nigeria justices
Chief justices of Nigeria
People from Niger State
Barewa College alumni
Ahmadu Bello University alumni
Nigerian Law School alumni
Officers of the Order of the Federal Republic
Grand Commanders of the Order of the Niger