By Kayode Adeoti
The Belgore family of the ancient city of Ilorin, Kwara State needs little or no introduction. Just as the family of Saraki made undisputable marks in politics so is the Belgores in the legal arena. Today, the history of judiciary in Nigeria will be incomplete without referencing the great Belgores.
History had it that there once lived in Ilorin a great jurist by the name Alkali Yusuf Belgore who was versed in Islamic Law, it was reported that whenever the Colonial Master had problem with the knowledge and application of Islamic law, his advice and opinion were usually sought. He was later appointed a Provincial Court Judge, he was to be sworn in 16th November, 1960 but unfortunately, on 2nd that year, he died.
As at today, the jurist and his wife, Hajia Aishatu Belgore have produced no fewer than 50 legal practitioners of reputes in the country, in their lineage. Among the notable ones in the family who have printed their names in gold and stamped their feet on the sand of time is the late Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice Babatunde Mahmud Belgore.
He was the fourth and the longest serving CJ of the Federal High Court, who was appointed on 22nd September, 1988 and retired in 2001. During his life time, he made many innovations in the judiciary which today are still living legacies.
He was the onetime Judge of Court of Appeal, his demise at 76 was described by the then Kwara State Governor, now the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki as a monumental loss to the body of legal professionals in Nigeria.
Worthy of note is the fact that the great jurist survived by many children among who are four lawyers, including Mohammed Dele Belgore, SAN. The young Dele attained the pinnacle of his career at the age of 40, it was said that he’s one of the few to be conferred with the coveted rank at that age in Nigeria.
Born in London, England on 25th June, 1961, he had his LL.B (Hons) at Hull University, England in 1983. His LL.M was in Bristol University, England in 1984 and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar 1985. Afterwards, he became a counsel in Chief Rotimi Willaims’ Chambers between 1986–1989; he was a founding member of Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore in 1989.
Till the immediate past governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Raji Fashola got the mandate of the electorate; report had it that the duo operates law business in partnership. Dele was said to have gained so much feat and connections in the process which later opened to him, doors of opportunities.
However, Dele did not only make impact in law practise but also in politics. He was two-time governorship candidate in Kwara State under the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011 and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015. Since he lost in his bid to govern the state, he has found solace in solitude. He appears to have bid a hasty goodbye to the limelight and withdrawn into his shell.
At his disappearance from the social scenes in the state continues to generate whispers in some circles, some say he has vowed never again to step into the fire of political contests for the fear of getting burnt. Others say he has learnt from his experience and is biding his time mapping out strategies to make sure that history does not repeat itself in 2019.
Another notable figure in the household is Justice Salihu Moddibo Alfa Belgore, CON, GCON, who is the eldest in the family. He was the 10th Chief Justice of Nigeria. According to the eminent jurist, his trajectory would have probably been truncated if he had followed his heart by studying medicine against the advice of his family.
He was raised by the extended family as such was the custom then. He grew up in the palace when his great uncle Abdulkadir Dan Bawa, who ruled from 1919-1959 was the Emir of Ilorin.
The young Alfa was born on 17th January, 1937, and after ceding to the advice of his family which turned out to be a life-changer for him,he left for England in 1960, where he enrolled at the University of London for his LL.B. But, painfully, that same year, his father, Alkali Yusuf Belgore who was the arrow head of the decision that he should study law, died.
He was called to both the English and Nigerian Bar in 1964 and upon his return to Nigeria, he was appointed Chief Register for the whole Northern part of Nigeria, afterwards, he was elected president of the Magistrates’ Association of Nigeria in 1971 and later an Acting High Court Judge in 1973.
Initially, he was not too disposed to the idea of being appointed a judge when he was offered. The then Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon signed off his employment letter as a judge in 1974 when he was confirmed as High Court Judge and served in Kaduna, Kano and Sokoto, before he was posted to Jos, Plateau State in 1977.
He spent six years on the bench culminating in his appointment as Chief Judge of Plateau State. Two years after, upon his transfer to Enugu, he was elevated to the Federal Court of Appeal. In 1986, while in Benin, he rose to the pinnacle of his career as he was elevated to the Supreme Court, the country’s apex court in 1987. He was on the bench for the next 21 years until his appointment as the Chief Justice of Nigeria in June 2006 by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
That position also conferred on him the chairmanship of the National Judicial Council, the Federal Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Institute.
While he was in the Supreme Court, he was on the judicial panels that delivered many landmark cases, including the often cited cases of Savannah Bank Limited Vs. Pan Atlantic and Transport Agencies Ltd; Savannah Bank Vs. Ajilo and Tukur Vs. Gongola.
Some of his landmark imprints include Impeachment Procedure Rules, increased conferees of the Silk Robe Procedure, Discipline of Erring Judges, Justice Sector Reforms which include simplification of Rules of Courts and Unification of Criminal Justice Administration and Rules of Evidence.
He is a Life Bencher of the Nigerian Body of Benchers as well as the Inner Temple of London.
Few years back, the legal luminary celebrated his 80th birthday and it was attended by the crème de la creme of the society at his residence in Abuja.
Also, the presiding judge of the Court of Appeal, Ekiti state division, Justice Ahmad O. Belgore is one of the legal juggernauts in the family.
He has handled many landmark cases among them is PDP leadership tussle, where he ordered stay of execution on the judgement of the lower court which affirmed William Ajayi-led executive as the authentic executive of the party in Ekiti state, last year.
Among them is Justice Bolaji Belgore at the Federal Capital territory, Abuja and several others not mentioned in this piece. They are reported to have made great successes in the profession.
In the same vein, a serving Kwara state High Court Judge, Justice Titi Daibu, who is equally from the lineage however maintained that the family has made its mark in the profession even as she confirmed that over fifty legal practitioners have emerged from the family.
Daibu, who is said to be an incorruptible judge by practitioners in the state, noted that the family has produced high ranking legal practitioners than any other family in Kwara state.
“That is my family, it is apparent that they’ve produced the most eminent in the state, the late Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, the only CJN from Kwara, no other person has attained that. We have Ahmad Belgore of the court of Appeal, Justice Bolaji in Abuja, and host of other lawyers. The family has produced over 5O legal luminaries who are highly placed in the country,” she said.
A veteran lawyer in the state, Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN) in his words described the family as ‘noble and renowned’ whose impacts are evident in the judiciary.
“The family is noble and renowned, they’ve produced very eminent Nigerians, including the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, it is a family whose credibility is very solid in all areas of human endeavour,” Ali said.
Also lending voice is a renowned barrister in the state Abdul-Tunde Gegele. He attested to the influence the Belgores have made in judiciary.
He said, “it is no doubt that the family command honour in all facet of judiciary in Nigeria. They’ve made Kwara proud I must say.”
