Retired Appeal Court Justice Ahmad Belgore dies at 70

Retired Appeal Court Justice Ahmad Belgore dies at 70

A retired justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ahmad Olarenwaju Belgore, is dead.
Belgore, who was the Presiding Justice of the Ilorin Division of the Court of Appeal, died on Tuesday night, about a week to his 71st birthday.

Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin Branch, Kwara State, Kamaldeen Gambari, announced his death on Tuesday.
Belgore retired from the Court of Appeal on April 18, 2023 at the age of 70 years.
Born on April 18, 1953, he studied Law at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained LL.B. (Hons.) specialising in Islamic Law from 1975 to 1978, the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos (Barrister-At-Law (BL) 1978/79 session and was enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in July, 1979.
The late jurist was appointed as a Notary Public in 1987 and later served in various capacities as a judge of the High Court of Kwara State from August 1990 to 2006, including as a Resident Judge of the Offa Judicial division of the High Court of Kwara State between August 1994 and September, 1999.
He also served as the Chairman, Special Tribunal Miscellaneous Offences in Abuja.
Belgore was later seconded to the Judiciary of the Republic of the Gambia, where he was appointed as Justice of Appeal, Gambia Court of Appeal and later elevated to the position of Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of the Gambia, a position he held until December 2005.
He was appointed the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ekiti Division.

He became a member, Body of Benchers of Nigeria in October, 2015 and later became a Life Bencher in February 2021.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has commiserated with the deceased’s family.

The governor described Justice Belgore as a great jurist and patriot.

Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, also said Belgore’s death was shocking and a huge loss.

The Emir in a statement by his spokesman, Abdulazeez Arowona, said, “It is with shock that I received the news of the demise of Justice Ahmad Belgore.

“He was a complete gentleman, a thorough judicial officer who served the nation meritoriously in various capacities, nationally and internationally.”