Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta

Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta was a Nigerian jurist and Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He served on the Supreme Court from 2011 until his death in 2021. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University and was called to the bar, the Nigerian bar in 1978. He began his law career in 1978 as a state counsel in Benue State ministry of justice, and later established his own law firm. In October 1995, he was appointed a Judge of the Abia State High Court. On 22 May 2011, he was appointed to the bench of the Nigerian courts of appeal and in May 2013, he was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as Justice. He presided over several notable cases, such as the governorship elections of Ondo and Ekiti states in 2013. He was arrested by the Department of State Security Services (DSS) on 8 October 2016 on allegations of bribery and corruption, but the Court of Code Tribunal (CCT) ruled in May 2018 that only the National Judicial Council could determine whether or not Ngwuta would face trial. In September 2019, Ngwuta resumed his duties as a Supreme Court Justice after a three-year suspension. He died on 7 March 2021 after a brief illness. He was described as a humble and dedicated jurist who contributed immensely to the development of the Nigerian judiciary.