Barr Kamaldeen Gambari was called to the bar about fifteen years ago around 2006. After his law school and relocation to Ilorin in 2007, he joined the law firm of Gobir Imam & Co before moving to AGF Salaudeen & Co as a Principal Partner. In this interview with ACTING EDITOR, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, Gambus, as he is popularly called delves on his most embarrassing moment as a legal practitioner. Excerpts:
I was less than two years at the bar then when I just came to Ilorin and inherited a file which I met in my office against a very senior member of the bar. The matter was slated for hearing and demands I have to bring my witness to court to testify. But it was difficult to access him because he was a government official. After two failed attempts to produce him in court coupled with different excuses, I think the judge was not happy. Then in one of the adjournments, the presiding judge, Justice Akoja now late, complained about it and what I thought the learned judge said was that he will foreclosed my case if I don’t produced my witness the next date. My colleagues and lawyers of my opponent were ready to make it an issue and capitalise on it. At the resumed hearing, before it came to my turn, the judge announced he wants to read out what he wrote down in his ruling concerning the case. But to my surprise, he said what he wrote was not foreclose but that he will not continue indulging me. But all of us understood the earlier pronouncement to mean foreclosure. In that state of happiness, I told the judge that every time I appeared in his court, I remembered my late father who he (judge) shares a similar facial appearance with and he just smiled. He later agreed to give me another date that I should make sure I produced the witness.
