The former Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Kate Abiri (retd.), has passed away.
Her demise occurred on Thursday morning, and the announcement was made by Bibobra Kitchen, the Yenagoa branch chairman of Aleibiri Federated Community, through a brief statement.
The cause of her death was not disclosed in the statement, but it declared four days of mourning among the community members in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.
The mourning and gatherings in her honor commenced on Thursday, August 3rd, 2023, at her compound.
Justice Kate Abiri retired from the Bayelsa State Civil Service on January 13 after a remarkable 15-year tenure as the chief judge. During her time in office, she administered oaths to three governors in Bayelsa and one in Rivers states, leaving a lasting impact as a legal icon in the region.
They are Timipre Sylva (2008), Seriake Dickson (2012), Douye Diri (2020) and Nyesom Wike (2015).
The late Bayelsa CJ’s retirement was celebrated with week-long activities that started with a special parade and valedictory court session held in her honour.
The events culminated in a state banquet where three books were unveiled in her honour including her biography titled, “Kate Abiri: Footprints on the Bench”; “Judges and Judging in Nigeria”; and “Bayelsa State Law Reports: Volume One.”
The state government had yet to make a statement on Justice Abiri’s passing as of the time of filing this report.