Mohammed Momoh
Abuja, December 12, 2020
Presidency has confirmed that the 85-year-old Nigeria’s outgoing Ambassador to the United States, Mr Sylvanus Nsofor, is dead.
Nsofor, a retired justice of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal, who assumed office as Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States on November 13, 2017, died on Thursday, December 10, 2020.
He succeeded Prof. Adebowale Adefuye, who also died towards the end of his tenure as Nigeria’s ambassador to US in 2017.
The Ambassador is a native of Oguta in Imo State South East Nigeria, Nsofor who graduated from London’s now-defunct Holborn College of Law in 1962 and bagged an LL.M from the London School of Economics in 1964,
The late envoy began teaching at Holborn College of Law in 1964 and later went into private practice the following year.
He was appointed to the bench in Nigeria in 1977, and served as a judge of the Imo state High Court. Nsofor was a justice on the Court of Appeal of Nigeria for 13 years until his mandatory retirement in 2005.
In his condolences, President Muhammadu Buhari, described Nsofor as “an outstanding judge of rare courage and truth who is not afraid to give justice to whom justice is due.”
In a telephone call to Jane, the widow of the retired justice in New York on Friday, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been directed to work with the family on burial arrangements.
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 candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the President said the country will miss people with such exemplary pedigree.
Reacting to the news of the death, the Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Mr Benaoyagha Okoyen, said the death of the envoy came as a shock to the mission, hailing Nsofor as a man of integrity, who gave his best in the service of his country.
“The late ambassador was a patriotic Nigerian, who served the nation well both as a judge and as a diplomat. As a judge, he discharged his duties without fear or favour, and it was on that basis that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him ambassador.
“And I am sure the president is proud of his service,” Okoyen said.
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada, Amb. Adeyinka Asekun, also said he received the news of Nsofor’s demise with “considerable shock”.
“I pray that the Almighty will comfort his widow and all those he left behind, and grant them the grace to bear the loss”, he said.
The Consul General of Nigeria in Atlanta, Mrs Aisha Musa, expressed sadness over the incident, saying that the late envoy would be remembered for his patriotism and remarkable contributions to Nigeria’s Judiciary and diplomacy.
She expressed her sympathy to members of his family and staff of the Nigerian Embassy in Washington.
Ms Patience Kay, a Nigerian community leader, described the late ambassador as a great, passionate and selfless leader, who would be greatly missed .
“Amb. Nsofor came to Washington DC and restructured the diplomatic missions. He brought relevance and productivity to the system.
“People might be talking about his age. Yes, he was old, but his mind was young and sharp. He was a visionary and good adviser,” Kay said.
She noted that Nsofor was like a father to members of the Nigerian community, saying that he listened to their cries and helped to resolving their issues.
