Abubakar Shehu Ahmed Tijani bagged his LL.B from Bayero University, Kano State in 2002 and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar in 2003. Afterwards, he taught in the School of Legal Studies in Kwara State from 2003 to 2008. From 2013, he has remained a lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Faculty of Law till date and also practices as the Principal of Ajufunbaya Chambers located in the state capital. He however shares with KAYODE ADEOTI his most astounding experience in court. Excerpts:
It was a day my colleagues waylaid me with the intention to end the arraignment of one of our colleagues who has done what is disparaging to the legal body. That particular day will continue to ring bell in my memory because of the attitude of some of us in the profession.
You could imagine, as early as 7am, lawyers have stormed my office thinking I will be there to pick some things before heading to court. They were determined to stop me from arraigning this lawyer. But, fortunately, I was hinted by a friend of how lawyers have stormed the premises of my office. This was why I decide to go straight to court from home. Surprisingly, I met about 20 of them again in court, pleading that I should not go on with the lawyer’s arraignment. I was baffled and annoyed, I therefore challenged them to allow the lawyer explain to court what he knows about the case. That is the day I will consider most memorable and dramatic to me in this job because as lawyers, I felt we have to come together to assist the society and not to promote corruption. That is only when we can have a sane society. Our President is trying in his fight against corruption but we must also be ready to do our part too at all times. Even as a legal body, the onus is on us to show ourselves to the society as custodians of law, not otherwise.
