Justice Ahmad Olanrewaju Belgore, who retired from the Court of Appeal on 18th April 2023, is dead. He was 70 years old.
Belgore retired when he clocked 70.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq expressed his condolences.
The statement read: “Belgore, who was until his recent retirement the presiding justice of the Ilorin division of the court of appeal, died on Tuesday night.
“The governor sends his heartfelt condolences to the entire Ilorin Emirate, the bar and the bench, and to the Belgores, who have lost a rare gem.“
Justice Belgore was a legal giant and a foremost community leader who offered his shoulder for many to lean on.
In another statement, the Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, described the Belgore’s death as a big loss to the Ilorin Emirate and the nation at large. nd chairman of the Kwara state traditional rulers council,
Sulu-Gambari is also Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council,
Belgore studied Law at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, where he bagged LL.B (Hons.) with specialisation in Islamic law, from 1975 to 1978. He finished from the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos in 1979 and was called to the Nigerian bar in July 1979.
The late jurist was appointed as a Notary Public in 1987 and later served in various capacities such as judge of the High Court of Justice, Kwara State from August 1990 to 2006; resident High Court judge, Offa judicial division, Kwara State, August, 1994 to September, 1999; as well as Chairman, Special Miscellaneous Offences Tribunal in Abuja.
He was also on secondment to the judiciary of the Republic of the Gambia where he was appointed Justice of the Appeal Court and was later elevated to become the acting Justice of the Gambia Supreme Court, a position he held till December 2005.
Belgore was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal, Nigeria on 27th April 2006 and was sworn in on 8th June 2006.
He became the presiding Justice of Sharia Panel of the Court of Appeal, in 2008. In 2015, he was posted to the Ekiti division of the Court of Appeal.
He was appointed member of the Body of Benchers of Nigeria in October 2015 and appointed life bencher in February 2021.
