Former Supreme Court Justice, Saifullahi Coomassie dead, buried

The body of Ex-Supreme Court Judge, Justice Saifullahi Coommassie, who died early hours of Friday, has been buried in his hometown, Zaria, Kaduna State.
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Coommassie reportedly died at the age of 71 after a brief illness.

The funeral prayer was performed at the Emir of Zazzau’s palace according to Islamic rites.

Dignitaries at the funeral included the Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris; Yariman Zazzau, Alhaji Munnir Ja’afaru; and the Adviser to Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State on Political Matters, Lawal Sama’ila-Yakawada. Others were judges and prominent politicians.

The late Coommassie initially trained as a teacher and taught Arabic and English languages in Zaria and Kaduna.

He left the teaching profession as the Principal of Provincial Arabic School in Fada, Zaria, after spending many years on the job.

He obtained an LL.B in 1976 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1977.

He was a State Counsel with Ministry of Justice in Kwara from 1977 to 1978 and Kaduna State in 1978.

Between 1978 and 1988, he was with the High Court of Kaduna State in various capacities and rose to the rank of Chief Registrar.

Prior to joining the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2008, he was a judge of the Court of Appeal and served in Port Harcourt, Jos, Abuja, Ilorin and Benin divisions of the court.

He was awarded the Time News Magazine Nigeria merit award in 2006; he was on national assignment as a member of the Karibi Whyte Disturbance Tribunal in Abuja (1986-1987).

Coommassie attended several workshops and seminars on Sharia and other aspects of law and was a member of the Nigerian Body of Benchers.

He is survived by two wives and two children.