Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Idris Kutigi, died in a London hospital on Sunday after a brief illness, his eldest son, Sani Kutigi has confirmed.

Kutigi confirmed the death in a telephone interview with journalists in Minna on Sunday.

” We are making arrangements to transport our father back for burial,” he said.

Late Kutigi was born on Dec. 31, 1939 and left behind 18 children and over 40 grandchildren.

He was the Chief Justice of Nigeria from Jan. 30, 2007 until Dec. 30 2009.

Justice Kutigi served as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State until 1976, when he was appointed High Court judge.

He served in that position for more than a decade and later joined the Supreme Court in 1992.

After 10 years at the Supreme Court, based on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him to the position of Chief Justice to succeed Justice Salihu Alfa Belgore, who retired on January 17, 2007.