- PortfolioChief of Staff
- AppointedJune 30, 2025
Biography
Barrister Moses Ityorumun Atagher is a distinguished Nigerian lawyer, accomplished public administrator, and respected statesman with over four decades of experience across legal practice, institutional governance, and public service. In July 2025, he was appointed by His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, Executive Governor of Benue State, to serve as Chief of Staff, succeeding Honourable Paul Shinya Biam.
Barrister Atagher’s sterling career, shaped by exceptional legal knowledge, deep administrative competence, and unwavering public commitment, places him among the most experienced technocrats to have served the state in recent decades.
EARLY LIFE and EDUCATION
Born in 1956 in Tsambe, a serene rural community in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State, Moses Atagher’s formative years were defined by modesty, diligence, and academic excellence. He began his education at NKST Primary School, Adeiyondo Tsambe (1965–1971) and proceeded to Government Secondary School, Gboko, where he completed his secondary education in 1976.
Driven by an early interest in justice and public law, he enrolled at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he earned his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree between 1976 and 1981. He subsequently attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and was formally called to the Nigerian Bar, thus commencing what would become a profoundly impactful legal career.
LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Barrister Atagher commenced his professional journey as Principal Counsel at Atagher & Co. (later Atagher & Ato) in Makurdi, where he practised from 1985 to 1992. His exceptional grasp of commercial and public law earned him appointments to high-level state and federal positions, where he distinguished himself as both an institutional reformer and legal strategist.
From 1986 to 1992, he served as Managing Director of the Benue State Urban Development Board, where he oversaw physical planning, infrastructure regulation, and urban policy coordination. Between 1993 and 1995, he was Managing Director of Kunav Community Bank, a role in which he championed grassroots financial inclusion and rural banking reforms.
Simultaneously, he served as External Solicitor to several corporate and state institutions, including Lobi Bank of Nigeria Limited, Benue Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, Benue Printing and Publishing Corporation, Benue Bottling Company Limited, and Atlantic Insurance Company.
In 1997, Barrister Atagher returned to Benue State to serve as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, providing constitutional and legal oversight to the state’s justice sector until 1998 under Colonel Mamman Kontagora.
In the public legal domain, Barrister Atagher served as Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Benue State from 1992 to 1994. He later joined Federal Mortgage Finance Limited (FMFL) in Abuja as Legal Adviser (1994–1997), rising within the restructured institution—now the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN)—to become General Manager. In 2005, he was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo as Executive Director (Finance and Administration) of FMBN, and subsequently served as Acting Managing Director, where he played a pivotal role in strengthening Nigeria’s housing finance framework.
Public Service and Community Engagement:
Beyond his core professional responsibilities, Barrister Atagher has contributed extensively to governance, institutional reform, and civic development in Benue State. His roles include:
• Chairman, Administrative Panel of Inquiry into Vandeikya Local Government Authority (1986)
• Member, Benue State Local Government Election Tribunal (1991–1992)
• Member, Benue State Law Reporting and Publication Committee
• Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association (Benue Branch), 1986–1988
• Chairman, Benue State Special Public Works Programme (SPW), 2021
These roles reflect his enduring commitment to the principles of justice, rule of law, electoral transparency, and inclusive development.
International Exposure:
Barrister Atagher is a well-travelled professional whose international exposure has broadened his global outlook and policy insight. He has visited and participated in professional engagements in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, South Africa, and numerous other countries—experiences that have deepened his understanding of comparative governance and cross-cultural leadership.
Personal Life:
A man of quiet dignity and strong ethical foundations, Barrister Atagher is widowed and a devoted father to three children. He is a committed Christian and Communicant Member of the NKST Church, known within his community for his humility, integrity, and dedication to public good.
With this appointment as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Benue State, Barrister Moses Ityorumun Atagher assumes one of the most strategic and demanding roles in the state’s executive structure. His unparalleled blend of legal proficiency, administrative depth, and public service experience makes him a critical asset to Governor Alia’s reform-driven administration. His tenure is widely expected to usher in renewed professionalism, institutional discipline, and coordinated policy execution at the heart of the state governmenATIO.
