Nigeria’s legal community and the nation are mourning the passing of Hon. Justice Umaru Atu Kalgo (Rtd.), JSC, CON, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, who died at the age of 89 following a prolonged illness.
​Justice Kalgo passed away at approximately 3:00 AM on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. In accordance with Islamic rites, his remains were laid to rest at 2:30 PM the same day in Sokoto, Sokoto State, surrounded by family members, legal colleagues, and community leaders.
​Reacting to the loss, former Sokoto State Governor and current Senator representing Sokoto South, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, issued a statement on Tuesday describing Justice Kalgo’s passing as a “profound loss” to his family, the people of Kebbi State, and the entire Nigerian judiciary.
​”His was a remarkable life devoted to the pursuit of justice, the rule of law, and service to our country,” Tambuwal stated, emphasizing that Justice Kalgo belonged to a generation of jurists who carried themselves with exceptional scholarship, discipline, and integrity.
​Born on May 12, 1937, in Kalgo, Kebbi State, Justice Kalgo’s legal career spanned nearly five decades. After completing his education at Barewa College (then Government College Zaria), he pursued legal training at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Holborn College of Law in London before being called to the Nigerian Bar in 1965.
Served as State Counsel from 1965 – 1974 and later Deputy Solicitor-General of the North-Western State. He was appointed High Court Judge for Kano and North-Western State in 1974, before being elevated to Chief Judge of Sokoto State on January 1, 1981.
Appointed to the Court of Appeal in February 1988 and elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria on November 25, 1998, where he served honorably until his statutory retirement at age 70 in May 2007.
​Beyond his judicial decisions across constitutional, civil, and criminal law, Justice Kalgo contributed significantly to national law reform through his work on the Constitution Review Committee (1987–1988), the Constituent Assembly (1988–1989), and the Law Revision Committee for the Laws of the Federation (1990).
He is survived by his immediate family, extended relatives in Kebbi and Sokoto states, and a enduring legal legacy across Nigeria.
