Monday, August 11

Former Attorney General Of Nigeria And Minister Of Justice, Chike Offodile [SAN] Is Dead...



A  former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Chike Offodile(SAN) is dead, the Onitsha Traditional Council has announced. Offodile, 92,  who was the Onowu Iyasele (Traditional Prime Minister) of Onitsha died on Sunday, August 3, 2014, according to a statement released by the council.

 The statement read, “Offodile rose to the rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1979 and was elevated to the rank of Life Bencher.


“He was Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice during the Buhari-Idiagbon administration of 1984-1985. 

“He retired from active practice in 2009 after 50 years of his call Bar. “In 2003, the Obi of Onitsha conferred on him the office of the Onowu Iyasele of Onitsha, where he discharged his duties with exceptional dedication and ability until his death.

 “Ofodile was born to Ofodile Ezeugo – of Umu Obi Udogwu royal family of Ogbeozala Village – and Umunebe of the Olisa Ojiede family in Odojele Village, both from Onitsha, Anambra State. 

“He attended the Immanuel Church Infant School, St. Mary’s Primary School and Christ the King College, all in Onitsha. 

“He taught briefly at the Holy Trinity School at Onitsha Waterside, before joining the P&T (Post and Telegraphs) Department, Enugu. Offodile travelled to the United Kingdom for further studies and was called to Bar at the Middle Temple in 1959.

 “Offodile was conferred with the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic by President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2008.”

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, James Eze, Governor Obiano of Anambra state  observed that with Offodile’s passage, Nigeria had lost one of the taproots of the nation’s judiciary, describing him as the last of the finest breed of legal luminaries.

“Chief Offodile was one of Anambra’s finest gifts to the nation’s judiciary. He served his fatherland for 50 years, some of which witnessed the most uncertain periods in our history.

“With his passage, Nigeria has lost yet another of the great men that laid the foundation of our current progress,” Chief Obiano observed.


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