Opeyemi Bamidele, Ozekhome become life benchers

Opeyemi Bamidele, majority leader of the senate, and Mike Ozekhome, human rights lawyer, have been confirmed as “life benchers” in the Body of Benchers.

Isa Chiroma, director-general of the Nigeria Law School, Sidi Bage, Emir of Laifa, Ejembi Eko, a retired justice of the supreme court, and Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, UN special rapporteur on trafficking persons in Africa, were also confirmed as life benchers.

Life benchers are members of the Body of Benchers who have been granted life membership.

The body, currently chaired by Adegboyega Awomolo, a senior advocate of Nigeria (CJN), is responsible for the formal call to the bar of people seeking to become legal practitioners as well as disciplining erring lawyers.

A statement from Bamidele’s office on Sunday said their confirmation was announced at a meeting of the body held in Abuja on January 23.

“With the newly confirmed life benchers, the total number of life benchers in the country has now risen to 170, a cap set for the next five years before new life members would be admitted into the body of practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession,” the statement reads.

“The elevation of the new life benchers is obviously in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the development of legal profession in the country and for upholding the integrity and excellence of the legal profession.”

In the ninth national assembly, Bamidele chaired the senate senate committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters. He was first appointed into the Body of Benchers as “bencher” in 2019.