By Hadiza Mohammed, Northern Operation Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Kano Division, is dead. The respected jurist reportedly slumped in his living room on Thursday evening at his residence in Kano and was immediately rushed to a hospital, where doctors later confirmed him dead. According to reports, sources within the Federal High Court in Abuja confirmed the development on Saturday, disclosing that the late judge was buried on Friday in line 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 passed away at the State Medical Centre in Kano. Until his death, Justice Yunusa presided over several politically sensitive and high-profile matters that drew national attention. One of the notable cases before him followed the 2023 general elections and involved the candidacy of members of the Labour Party across the country, including the then Abia State governor-elect, Alex Otti. The suit was instituted by Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim, who urged the court to revoke and set aside certificates of return issued to Labour Party candidates declared winners in Kano State, 35 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The respondents in the matter were the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission. Although the court nullified the election of Labour Party candidates in Kano State, Justice Yunusa clarified at the time that candidates who participated in elections in Abia State were not parties 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 late judge had ruled. Colleagues and associates have since described Justice Yunusa as a diligent and committed judicial officer who dedicated his life to the dispensation of justice.
