Bayelsa Ex-Chief Judge, Kate Abiri, Dies

Justice Kate Abiri (retd.), the immediate-past Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, has died, The PUNCH reports.

She died on Thursday morning.

The Yenagoa branch chairman of Aleibiri Federated Community, Bibobra Kitchen, announced her demise in a brief statement he issued on Thursday.

The statement did not disclose the cause of her death but declared four days of mourning among her community folks in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

“She died this morning 3rd Thursday August, 2023. As usual, the 4 days mourning/gathering commences today being Thursday 3rd @ her compound”, it said.

Abiri retired from the Bayelsa State Civil Service on January 13 after serving as chief judge for 15 years.

During her 15-year term as chief judge, the departed legal icon swore in three governors in Bayelsa and one in Rivers states.

They are Timipre Sylva (2008), Seriake Dickson (2012), Douye Diri (2020) and Nyesom Wike (2015).

The late Bayelsa CJ’s retirement was celebrated with week-long activities that started with a special parade and valedictory court session held in her honour.

The events culminated in a state banquet where three books were unveiled in her honour including her biography titled, “Kate Abiri: Footprints on the Bench”; “Judges and Judging in Nigeria”; and “Bayelsa State Law Reports: Volume One.”

The state government had yet to make a statement on Justice Abiri’s passing as of the time of filing this report.