President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday mourned the death of Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, Justice Sylvanus Nsofor.
Nsofor, 85, reportedly died on Thursday evening in the US.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement titled “President Buhari mourns Ambassador Nsofor; calls him a man of rare courage,” said Buhari had spoken with the deceased’s widow, Jane, on the telephone to commiserate with her and the family.
According to the statement, Buhari, during the telephone conversation, described the late envoy as “an outstanding judge of rare courage and truth who is not afraid to give justice to whom justice is due.”
Shehu added that the President had directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work with the deceased’s family on his burial arrangement.
The statement read in part, “Apparently referring to the 2003 presidential election during which Justice Nsofor delivered a minority judgment as a member of the election appeal panel in favour of Gen. Buhari as the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party; the President said the country would miss people with such exemplary pedigree.
“President Buhari, who has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work with Justice Nsofor’s family on the burial arrangements, prayed God to comfort all who mourn the departed jurist and grant his soul eternal rest.”
