Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, who served on Nigeria’s Supreme Court from 2007 and as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 2019 until his resignation in 2022, has died at 71 in a Saudi hospital.
“Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return,” the Nigerian Association of Muslim Law Students said in a condolence message.
Tanko rose steadily through the courts and was sworn in as CJN in 2019.
He led the apex court in high-profile decisions that shaped Nigeria’s politics and law.
Most widely debated was the 2020 Supreme Court ruling that removed Emeka Ihedioha as Imo governor and declared Hope Uzodinma winner — a judgment that provoked strong public debate and remains one of his most controversial legacies.
Supporters note his work on speeding corruption and financial-crime cases and his public offers of cooperation with anti-corruption agencies.
The ICPC said the Supreme Court under Tanko “pledged the judiciary commitment to the fight against corruption,” a stance he often voiced. But his term ended amid an unprecedented internal dispute.
In June 2022, 14 Supreme Court justices sent a memo warning that “this is the peak of the degeneration of the Court; it is the height of decadence, and clear evidence of the absence of probity and moral rectitude,” language that cast a long shadow over his final months and preceded his resignation.
After his resignation, Tanko was awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), one of Nigeria’s highest national honours.
Colleagues and legal groups have offered mixed assessments — praising his years of service and some reform efforts, while critics point to the governance disputes that marked his exit.
Family and official statements about funeral arrangements had not been released by press time.
The judiciary and legal community are expected to issue fuller tributes in the coming days.
