Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR has commiserated with the family of the immediate-past Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Hon. Kate Abiri, who passed away at the age of 65, on Thursday, August 3, 2023, after a brief illness.

The former president of Nigeria who was at the residence of the late Chief Judge on Friday, August 4, 2023, in Yenagoa, the state capital, showered praises on the deceased for her stance in upholding justice without compromising ethical standards of her profession.

Ex-President Jonathan, who made a post of his visit to the bereaved family of the deceased on his official social media handles, noted that the death of the deceased is a big loss to the family, to Bayelsa State, and to her legal profession. 

Part of his condolence message reads: "Justice Abiri was a jurist with an enviable track record of honesty, integrity and steadfastness in the pursuit of truth and justice.

"She was an incorruptible judge, a symbol of courage, hope and inspiration to many across the country.

"As a member of the bench, she was a dedicated servant in the temple of justice, known for her piety and total commitment to upholding the rule of law.

"Her death is a big loss to  her family, Bayelsa and members of the legal profession. I urge them to find solace in her notable strides and the fulling life that she lived.

"She will be missed by many Nigerians across the country; I pray that God grants all the bereaved the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss," GEJ prayed.

The late CJ Abiri, who was the first female chief judge in Nigeria’s history to swear-in the highest number of state chief executives even beyond her state, was appointed chief judge by former Governor Timipre Sylva in 2008 after a protracted battle, led by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa branch, and retired from the state judiciary on 13 January, 2023, after serving as chief judge for 15 years and clocking the mandatory retirement age of 65.

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