Dr Folorunsho Ahmad Hussein Faagba is a 1998 law graduate of the Bayero University, Kano and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2001. He started practice with Y.K. Saadu & Co. where he has now spent over 20 years and later had his MSc and Doctorate in Comparative law both from the International University, Malaysia. In this interview with ACTING EDITOR, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, the University of Ilorin lecturer, Department of Arabic talks about his most dramatic moment thus far in practice. Excerpts:
It was when I was before a judge here in Ilorin with two other very senior lawyers of the bar before the same judge who is late now. The business the two senior lawyers had in court that day was the same with my own. Knowing that I come from the office of Y.K Saadu who is a well respected member of the society and the legal profession, judges and magistrates used to look at me as a young person coming from a reportable chamber. One of the seniors wanted to apply for a substituted order of service orally but the court said he should go and file a motion and adjourned. Same scenario played out with the other senior colleague. When it was my turn and remember the same thing brought the three of us to court, the judge said I should go ahead and move my application orally. Everybody in the court was saying that I used something because I am an Alfa. Then another time and before the same judge, one of the seniors had a criminal case and the accused was not in court. But he lied to the judge that the accused has taken ill was even rejected at the hospital and had been taken to the traditional healing centre. He applied that the court should excuse him. When judge was writing his ruling to excuse the accused since it was compulsory for him to be in court, he just walked in. I almost prayed for the ground to open for me to go into it. I was terrified to see a very senior lawyer lying. I felt what sort of embarrassment is this. Now I almost experienced the same thing. My client who is an Igbo man used to come from Lagos and was always punctual in court. I had instructed him to report to my office a day before his case for me to be sure he is around. Now on this adjourned day, I didn’t see him and when I got to the court the next morning before the same judge, I told the court that the usual thing was that he usually comes around a day to his case but I have not seen him and it wasn’t the time of mobile phone that I don’t know what happened to him. I requested that the court should give him the benefit of doubt that he has never been absent in court. Now as the same judge was writing his ruling just like it happened with the senior lawyer, my client walked in. The judge asked him what happened and he said the motor he boarded broke down along the way that he had to sleep over before coming to court this morning. The judge then turned to me and said, Faagba, Keep it up that it is good to be honest and sincere. These words had been my watchwords ever since.
