Nigerian Concord Newspaper
As the Tiv Area Traditional Council under the leadership of the Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse sets to confer a Chieftaincy title on a former Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Mike Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN on Saturday, December 13, 2025, the Association of Tiv Indigenes in Lagos State has congratulated the former Nigeria’s law officer.
Chief Kaase is the first and only Tiv man to serve the nation as a Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
Recall that as a result of Chief Kaase Aondoakaa’s outstanding service and support to the Tiv nation, Benue State and Nigeria as a whole, the Tiv Area Traditional Council, under the leadership of HRM. Prof. James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse CFR will be conferring the IVAANIYANGE chieftaincy title on him at the Tiv Day Celebration holding at JS Tarkaa Stadium in Gboko.
The Association of Tiv Indigenes in Lagos State in its congratulatory message which was signed by the group’s Director of Press, Chief Samuel Apine, Esq and made available to journalists this morning, stated that the conferment of the Chieftaincy Title on Aondoakaa is an acknowledgement of his leadership and service to the state and Nigeria as a whole.
Saying that the honor is well-deserved, the group congratulated Chief Kaase Aondoakaa on his true inspiring achievements as a legal luminary.
“Your dedication to the Tiv community has earned you this esteemed title. May God grant you good health and guide you in your service to humanity” the group said.
The statement reads in parts: “This conferment is a testament to your unwavering commitment to excellence, leadership, and community development. May this new role empower you to inspire even more, bringing greater unity and positive change.
“Your passion for justice, humility, and tireless efforts to uplift others have made a lasting impact. This chieftaincy title is a reflection of your kind heart and generous spirit. May your reign be filled with joy, peace, and continued fulfillment.
“We sincerely congratulate the Former AGF over the feat as this has shown that the Tiv nation recognizes his roles in the society. We are wishing him wisdom for his new role as the IVAANIYANGE of the Tiv nation.
“We pray that may God bless his reign with prosperity, peace, and community upliftment, focusing on his character like humility, hard work, and dedication to people”
PROFILE OF CHIEF KAASE AONDOAKAA
Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa SAN is a detail-oriented Legal Practitioner with advanced justice management skills with private and public service experiences.
Chief Aondoakaa is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN and a Fellow of the International Dispute Resolution Institute F.DRI, London, United Kingdom. He served as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Minister of Special Duties and has vast legal experience in civil, criminal and commercial law matters.
Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, F.DRI has an enduring familiarity of national and global legal issues with advanced advocacy and solicitor skills as well as proven ability to initiate innovative measures to advance the cause of justice.
More so he is an Investor, Industrialist, Agriculturalist and Philanthropist; as well as the promoter of Mikap Nigeria Limited, producers of Miva Rice polished parboiled rice which is located in Makurdi, Benue State capital with employment capacity of 250 administrative and technical personnel including over 400 farmers on its out-grower’s scheme. Furthermore, Chief Michael Aondoakaa has contributed to providing basic education in Benue State by founding and promoting Saint Zita Nursery/Primary Schools, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, a school with ultramodern equipment and innovative learning structures and has many students on his scholarship scheme within and outside Benue State.
Born on 12th June, 1962 at Lessel in Ushongu local Government Area of Benue State, Aondoakaa holds an LL.B (Hons) Degree in Common Law from University of Maiduguri, Nigeria and obtained his B.L. from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1986.
He has Previously, attended L.G.E.A. Primary School, Ge-Mbagwa and Mt. St. Gabriel’s Secondary School Makurdi for his Primary and Secondary education respectively.
In addition chief Aondoakaa has worked with Mikios Nigeria Ltd; Lagos during his National Youth Service Corps NYSC and thereafter, went into active private practice; first as a junior Counsel in the chambers of J. Tine Tur & Co. Gboko.
After acquiring vast experience, he established his chambers, practising under the name and style of M. K. Aondoakaa & Co; which has metamorphosed into the present Prime Juris Legal Practitioners and Consultants with over 15 active lawyers.
He was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN in 2006.
In his public service engagements,
Chief Aondoakaa acted as Secretary-General, Benue Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture, Industries and Mines from 1993 – 1995.
In July 2007, under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he was appointed Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On 11th February, 2010, he became Minister for Special Duties in the Presidency by cabinet reorganization until 17th March 2010 when the entire cabinet was dissolved by the then acting President Goodluck Jonathan. During his time as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, he facilitated many jobs for Benue indigenes and has continued to do so till date.
In 2009, he was elected the first African into the esteemed Governing Council of International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) in Rome, Italy for a five-year tenure which he served diligently till the end of the tenure in 2013.
Chief Aondoakaa special skills include in-depth knowledge of practice and procedure of several national and international inter-governmental institutions; networking with the legal profession across the globe, Strong litigation in civil, criminal and commercial law matters as well as the ability to initiate innovative programmes leading to reforms in the justice sector.
As the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister of Justice, his commitment to the doctrine of the Rule of Law, Due Process, Human Rights and Good Governance was total and well documented. His insistence on the rule-of-law as basis for the conduct of national affairs and governance earned him the nick-name of “Mr. Rule of Law” as he organized a competent, human rights-driven Management Team at the Federal Ministry of Justice that was equipped with leadership, awareness and people-friendly skills.
He has provided essential advice and policy direction in achieving the Federal Government of Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law and due process.
The former Honourable minister also spearheaded and successfully presented Nigeria’s request and got approval for the extension of Nigeria’s territorial borders from 200 to 300 nautical miles into the sea;
Played the leading role in ensuring the implementation of Nigeria’s membership obligation in furtherance of her membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council, etc.
He has served as Head of delegation, Follow up High Level Committee on Nigeria-Cameroun Mixed Commission on the Legal Status of Bakkassi.
Chairman, Land Use Reform Committee
Chairman, Reform of Petroleum Trust Development Fund.
Chairman, Federal Executive Council Sub-Committee to review the Justice Uwais Committee on the Amendment of the 1999 Constitution.
Served as the sole representative of the Africa Union on the Governing Council of the United Nations Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), Rome, Italy from 2009 to 2013.
The nominee intellectual services include:
Guest Speaker at the Nigerian Bar Association Conference, August, 2007. Guest Speaker at Universal Peace Federation Form UPF, Manhattan Centre Studios, New York, September, 2007
Keynote Speaker at National Workshop on Strategies for the Implementation of the National Action Plan for the Protection of Human Rights, October 2007
Resource Person and Speaker at a Retreat of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Port Harcourt, October 2007
Speaker at the Conference of the State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), Bali, Indonesia, January 2008
Speaker at the 4th Business Roundtable with the Government of Nigeria organized by the Economist Magazine, January 2008
Speaker at National Roundtable on the Review of the enabling Law of the Nigeria Police Force, February 2008
Furthermore the former Justice minister was a guest Lecturer, National War College, Abuja February 2008. Guest Lecturer, 2009 Public Lecture University of Jos, Jos
Guest Lecturer, Nassarawa State University, Keffi 2009 Convocation
Guest Speaker at the Stakeholder’s Forum on the Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Activities of Anti-vandalism in Benue State organized by Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in collaboration with Benue State Government, September, 2013.
Guest Lecturer at the 53rd Independence National Celebration organized by Benue Youth Coalition for Democracy, October, 2013.
Worthy of mention is that Chief Aondoakaa has been a Guest Lecturer at Green Revolution for Africa Conference, Kenya, 2018;
Special Guest, Second African Rice Conference, Yaunde, Cameroun – 2014
Guest Lecturer, First Infrastructure Development Fund for Africa, Dubai – 2018;
Guest Lecturer, International Conference on Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (AFHWC), held at Millennium Hotel, Paris, France, 19th – 21st October, 2025. Title of paper presented: “Mitigating Food Insecurity in the North Central Regions of Nigeria: Exploring Gender-Inclusive Agro-Innovative Solutions.”
It on record that Chief Aondoakaa is currently external Counsel to the House of Representatives and Chairman and chief Executive of Mikap Nigeria Limited, a company located in Makurdi that has installed and commissioned an 8.5 metric ton per hour state-of-the-art polished parboiled rice processing plant using best international practices and applying technology supplied by Daewa Industrial Company of South Korea; and Miltec Company Pvt. and Multi tech boilers Pty both of India. The staff of the Mikap Nig. Ltd. is 100% indigenous, the paddy rice – Farrow 44 sippi and Farrow 54 mars – is sourced locally and the husk generated is used as fuel to fire the boiler for steam generation to actualize paddy parboiling. The processed paddy is marketed as polished whole-grain rice under the brand name of ‘MIVA RICE.’ Mikap Nig. Ltd. freely distributes improved (hybrid) rice seeds and other farm inputs to cluster farmers. He is the Chairman, Endowment Fund Raising Committee, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi.
He is also experienced in providing advisory services on foreign investment matters, Entrepreneurship and Agricultural production. Currently, he is the President, West African Rice Processors Association WARIA and Secretary, Rice Processors Association of Nigeria RIPAN. He is a Member of both Nigerian Bar Association NBA and the International Bar Association NBA.
His special interest covers all facets of corporate legal practice and agricultural production and processing. He loves music and engages in philanthropy with little public theatricals; he has facilitated appointments and employment of over 500 Benue indigenes and maintains over 70 indigent students on his scholarship roll at various educational levels.
It is based on this background and track record of achievement both in public and private sectors that the Tiv Supreme Council has chosen to reward him with a HONOURIFIC CHIEFTAINCY TITLE of IVAANIYANGE in Tiv people meaning a man who always fights for the benefit of his people.
It is a belief that chief Aondoakaa SAN will use his position and the honour to sustain his fight for the benefit of Tiv people as demonstrated during his days as the attorney general of the Federation and minister of Justice as well as chairman Board of Directors MIKAP Nigeria limited producers of MIVA Rice
Worthy to note is that it was his philanthropic contributions, that earned him a traditional chieftaincy title of the Tsar-U-Tiv mba Sha Nasarawa, by the mutual union of Tiv people in Nasarawa State in 2008.
Chief Aondoakaa has travelled far and wide including USA, UK, France, Brazil, Switzerland, Israel, Indonesia, Singapore, Italy, Germany, Russia, Australia, UAE, Qatar, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Vatican City, Turkey, India Ethiopia, Trinidad & Tobago, Egypt, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Morocco, Cameroun, Togo, Benin Republic, Mali, Gambia, Cape Verde, Niger, Chad, Burkina-Faso, Senegal etc. He has attended various national and international Conferences and has received numerous service and excellence awards across the globe.
He is Christian of the Catholic church and is married with children.