The Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has expressed deep sorrow over the death of a former Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Adam Ochume Onum, who died on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
The governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, described the passing of the former Judge as a painful loss to Benue State and the Nigerian judiciary.
According to the statement, the Governor recalled how Justice Onum made history in December 2017, when he became the first person of Idoma extraction to occupy the office of Chief Judge of Benue State since its creation in 1976, describing the feat as a significant moment in the state’s history even as he acknowledged the late Judge’s years of service on the bench, marked by integrity, courage and commitment to the administration of justice.
The statement further reads, “Justice Onum was a distinguished legal practitioner and judicial officer whose contributions to the development of the state’s legal and judicial institutions will remain part of Benue’s history.
”His contributions to state commissions and national Election Petition Tribunals further demonstrated his dedication to public service,” the Governor said.
The Governor therefore extended his heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the deceased, the Idoma nation, the Benue State Judiciary, the Nigerian Bar Association and the entire people of the state, praying that God grants them the strength to bear the loss.
While praying for the repose of the soul of the Justice Onum, the Governor said his legacy of service and his contributions to the growth of Benue State will forever be remembered.
