Buhari, Onnoghen, Arewa leaders mourn Kutigi, Tukur

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the Kutigi family of Lavun Local Council of Niger State over the passage at 79 years old of their son and former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Idris Legbo Kutigi, in a London, United Kingdom hospital at the weekend.

He also commiserated with the judiciary as well as the people and the state government on the death of the eminent jurist, who was appointed Supreme Court judge in 1992 and named CJN in 2007.

In a statement yesterday by his Special adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said Kutigi’s bold, articulate judicial decisions and advocacies on access to justice for all and protection of that arm of government’s independence were commendable.

He urged his admirers and followers to honour his memory by working for a better and just society in addition to upholding the virtues he stood for.

Also, the president expressed “profound sadness’’ over the death of erstwhile chairman of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Hamman Tukur, who equally passed on at the weekend.

In a separate statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, he described the departed as “a dedicated, disciplined, decent and credible public servant who served Nigeria with an untainted record.’’

Buhari recalled that the late one-time Managing Director of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) was credited with the introduction of monetisation policy in government, a scheme that “substantially streamlined and brought down the cost of governance in Nigeria.”

In his condolence message to the family and Nigerians, the incumbent CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, directed that the nation’s flag in the apex court, his residence, National Judicial Council (NJC), National Judicial Institute (NJI) as well as the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) and all courts of records across the federation be flown at half-mast for seven days in honour of the late Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria alumnus.

Also yesterday, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) mourned the erstwhile Niger State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

In a statement in Kaduna by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, the group noted: “The late Justice Idris Kutigi was an eloquent jurist who held various positions in the legal profession and excelled as the Chief Justice of Nigeria from January 2007 to December 2009.

He was a member of the ACF Board of Patrons and contributed immensely by his wise counsel and participation in the forum’s activities.”