Life Bencher and leading lawyer, Senator Onyeabo Chukwunedum Obi is dead. Senator Obi died yesterday. He was aged 82 years.

Announcing his passage on a social media platform, his younger brother and Bar Leader, Mr. Zik Obi II said: “Good morning All, Pending a formal announcement from the family later today, I wish to personally inform members of Otu Oka Iwu that my eldest brother and past President of Otu Oka Iwu and Bencher, Senator Onyeabo Obi, Os’oji Nnewi, passed on to greater glory yesterday at the age of 82 years. We are grateful to God for his life.

“Kindly note that due to the current COVID-19 safety protocols, physical condolence visits are not necessary or encouraged. Thank you so much.

“Best regards. Zik Obi.”

CITY LAWYER recalls that the respected jurist was said to have attended the last Ofala Festival of His Royal Highness, Igwe Kenneth Orizu III of Nnewi on December 28, 2020. Before then, he chaired the virtual birthday celebration of his then protege and former Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief George Uwechue SAN.

In one of the early reactions on his passing, veteran politician and lawyer, Chief Guy Ikokwu said:”This is shocking as I had the last meeting with him at our Enugu Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Imeobi meeting and took pictures with him and Nwodo jnr our PG Ohanaeze Ndigbo and wished he will show up at Owerri meeting of 9th January. What a pity. Terrible as we had a heart to heart chat. May he rest in perfect peace.”

Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch, Mr. Okey Ilofulunwa wrote: “Ugwunnia, please do accept my deepest condolences on the death of Senator Onyeabo Obi. He was a quintessential gentleman and a bar man through and through. My last interaction with him was on December 10, 2020 during a webinar on International human rights day which I hosted and moderated. He was in the element and participated actively at the event and made incisive contributions. Your family will miss him but the legal community will miss him greatly. I join in praying for the repose of his soul.”

Leading human rights lawyer, Chief Frank Agbedo said: “Not again, lord! Os’oji Nnewi only recently chaired the birthday colloquium in honor of Chief Uwechue SAN, and was his full witty and cerebral self, as usual. Lord, please shut the door against this morbid breeze depleting our most cherished stock. No doubt Chief Onyeabor Obi was a great man of style, culture and the law, and departs this sinful world to a better place. We mourn, even as we celebrate a great life well lived for the greater good of mankind.”

BRIEF PROFILE

LLB, BL, lawyer, politician, born November 20,1938; married Evelyn Nnenna Obioha 1967, two sons, three daughters; Education: St Cyprian’s School, Port Harcourt, 1943-50, Hope Waddell Training Institution, Calabar, 1951-55, North-Western Polytechnic, London, 1958-59, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, 1959-62, called to the English Bar at Gray’s Inn, 1961; Legal Adviser to the Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, January- September 1966; in Private Legal Practice, since 1963; Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Anambra West Senatorial, District, 1979-83 and Secretary, NPP Senate Caucus; Vice-Chairman, Arbitration Committee, International Bar Association, 1986-88, Nigerian member, Panel of Conciliators, International Centre for Settlement of lnvestatent Disputes, Washington DC, USA, since 1987; Political Party: member, banned Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), 1979-83; Hobby: lawn tennis; Official Address: c/o Onyeabo Obi and Company (Barristers, Solicitors and Notaries Public), Western House, 8/10, Broad Street (13th Floor), P.O. Box 4040, Lagos; Telephone: 01-634604, 630843 (SOURCE: “Blerf’s Who is Who in Nigeria”)

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