The Makurdi, Gboko and Otukpo branches of the Nigerian Bar Association have urged Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia to assent to legislation extending the retirement age of magistrates and law officers in the state’s Ministry of Justice.
The branches made the appeal during the opening of the 2026/2027 Benue State Judiciary Legal Year in Makurdi.
Speaking for the branches, Makurdi Branch Chairman Joseph Mtemdoo Gbagyo said the legislation would help preserve the experience of senior judicial and legal officers within the state’s justice system.
The Benue State House of Assembly reportedly passed the bill on May 6, 2026.
The Legal Year ceremony was held under the theme, “The Nigerian Judiciary at a Crossroads: Innovations, Accountability and Public Trust.”
For the NBA branches, extending retirement age is not simply a welfare question. Their argument is that retaining experienced magistrates and law officers could strengthen institutional memory and reduce the loss of skilled personnel from the justice sector.
The final step now rests with the governor’s consideration of the legislation.
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- SOURCE: NewsNGR
