Kwara, the state of harmony can boast of indigenes who have made their names and excelled in law practice. The state is reputed for producing the highest number of legal practitioners and Senior Advocates of Nigeria in the country. Below are a brief background of some of the indigenous SAN as compiled by ABIODUN BOLUJOKO.
Salman Alarape Aliyu: Dr. Aliyu Alarape Salman (SAN), a life bencher, is a Doyen among Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) in Kwara State, the fourth oldest SAN in the North, 56th in Nigeria and the first SAN produced by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1968 and conferred with SAN rank in 1987. The legal luminary has produced many lawyers in the state in which two of them are former chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch, Kwara State. He is a prominent member of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU). He was the one who handled the controversial matter of Baba Agba Vs. Galadima, the case he won at the Supreme Court. He is still in practice and the principal partner of Aliyu Alarape Salman & Co.
Saka Abimbola Isau: Saka Abimbola Isau, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was at different times Secretary to the State Government and Commissioner for Justice as well as Attorney-General of Kwara State during the immediate past administration of Governor Bukola Saraki. Though he may not have built castle or mansion, but to many people, Isau is a silent millionaire with international connections and influence. He was also a gubernatorial aspirant for the 2019 general election under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Isau, who hails from Ilorin West Local Government, is reputed for humanitarian services, especially in legal aspect. He was part of the team that defended and won the case of alleged false declaration of asset against the Senate President from the Code of Conduct Bureau to the Supreme Court.
Adebayo Oba Adelodun: Adelodun is one of the leading Senior Advocates of Nigeria in Kwara who has made so much impact in litigation. When it comes to election petition, Adelodun is the most sought after in Kwara State. To some people, he is a Government Lawyer that handles all government related cases and who has connections and influence with many top government functionaries across the country. Adelodun had his Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) between 1979 and 1982, he also obtained his Master of Law (LL.M.) between 1999 and 2000.
Kamaldeen Ajibade: He is the current Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice of the state. Ajibade is the longest serving AG in the history of Kwara State. He attained the highest pinnacle of his profession last year as Senior Advocate of Nigeria, he has joined the league of most influential barristers in the state. Findings revealed that he is humble, though with international connections. He is part of the legal counsels that handled the Senate President’s case. Another thing that made Ajibade cynosure of the eyes in the legal practice is his large heart. According to some of his colleagues, no lawyer in Kwara do Pro Bono cases like him.
He set up his own law firm, A.K. Ajibade & Associates in 1989. Ajibade was fully into private practice till 2007, when he was given a political appointment by the Kwara State government as senior assistant on Legal Matters during the administration of former governor Bukola Saraki.
Apart from holding political offices, Ajibade had worked in many other capacities to enhance the development of the state. While he was SA on Legal Matters, he was directed in 2009 to go and revamp the Kwara State Investment and Property Development Company which he did till 2010.
Also, during Saraki’s administration, he was moved to Bureau of Land to help shore up the state revenue.
Lawal Rabana: He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1983. He became a Life Bencher in 2011. He has been in different teams for review of law and panel of enquiries. Rabana has served as the General Secretary of Nigerian Bar Association (National 2006-2008), Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin Branch, and in different committees of the Nigerian Bar Association. He was a member of Federal Judicial Service Commission from 2008- 2013 and member of Body of Benchers Disciplinary Committee from 2009 – 2015. Rabana is a member of several professional bodies such as Fellow of Chattered Institute of Arbitrators of the UK and Nigerian chapter). He has handled very contentious cases to the Supreme Court.
Kehinde Eleja, SAN: He was admitted to the Nigerian Bar as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1993 having satisfied the requirements to be so admitted. Eleja was a pupil state counsel at the Benue State Ministry of Justice, Otukpo from 1993-1994 during his National Youth Service Scheme. ernment and its agencies in litigation in courts.
He joined the law firm of Yusuf Ali & Co. in October, 1994 as a junior counsel and rose to become a Partner and the Head of Chambers, the position he maintained until his disengagement from the law firm of Yusuf Ali & Co., on the 31st July, 2011. Eleja has in the course of his career represented corporate and individual clients in all the courts of records in Nigeria, Commissions of Inquiry, Arbitration Panels, Election Petition Tribunals, among others. r and Industrial Relations and Real Property Law.
He was appointed Senior Advocate of Nigeria on 10th July,2015 and formally sworn in on the 21st day of September, 2015 after having been found worthy of the prestigious rank by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee.
Eleja was the chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin Branch from November 2005 to October, 2007. He was also a member of the Kwara State Criminal Justice Committee during the same period. He was a member of the National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association from 2005-2009. He was the Editor-in-chief of the Kwara Bar Journal, a publication of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin Branch from 2004-2007.
Chief Peter Adebayo Olorunisola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), born on 7th June, 1940 in Igbaja the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara state. He obtained his qualification as follows: LL. B-Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (1964-1967), LL. M – London University(1967- 1968), BL – Nigerian Law School (1968-1969), Notary Public – Supreme Court of Nigeria, Senior Advocate of Nigeria – Legal Practitioners Privileged Committee (1993), Diploma in Church Ministry- ECWA Theological Seminary Igbaja (1993). He began his legal practice since 1969 to date.
He worked in the state in different capacity as Commission for Agriculture and Natural Resources (1973), Commissioner for Finance (1973-1975) and Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-Genersl (1983).
Folorunsho was the first Chairman, Kwara state Rent tribunal (1971-1972). First Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association, Keats Branch (1970-1972). Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Kwara Branch (1981-1983), Chairman, Gateway Insurance Company Ltd (1975-1979).Director-Afribank(1990-1992). Vice Chairman, Kwara State committee on religious matters (2004 till date. Chief Olorunisola is married to Christiana Olawumi (Nee Fadairo) Olorunisolai in 1970, blessed with 5 children and grand children.
Professor Wahab Egbewole: He graduated from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1984 and was called to the Bar in 1985 at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos. He has since remained in active legal practice and set up the firm of Wahab Egbewole & Co in 1995
He was the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin Branch 2003 -2005 and member of the National Executive Council of the Association since then. He is also a member of the Council of Legal Education. He served as the Acting Head of Department, Jurisprudence and International Law, University of Ilorin .
He was the Acting Dean of Law between February, 2010 and February, 2012. He was the pioneer Treasurer, Section on Legal Practice of the Nigerian Bar Association as well as a member of the Council, Kwara State Office of the Public Defender, Member, w Revision Committee of Oyo, Osun and Kwara State.
He is currently in Associateship with Adebayo Adelodun SAN on a number of cases for Mobil Producing Unlimited. He is an active member of the International Bar Association, widely travelled, attended Workshops and Conferences nationally and internationally.
He has more than 50 publications to his credit in national and international journals. He is married with children.
Professor Mohammed M. Akanbi who was born in the 70s had his LL.B from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State in 1997. His LL.M follows at the Lagos State University. Subsequently, he obtained his Ph.D from King’s College, London between 2004-2006. Earlier, he served (NYSC) at the Legal Department of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and later joined the chambers of Olawoyin & Olawoyin for his pupillage and Oyedele Gafar &Co. in 1997.
Joseph Sunday Bamigboye, SAN: Sir Joseph Sunday Bamigboye, SAN was born on the 14th February, 1960. He is a native of Omu-Aran Irepodun LGA of Kwara state. He attended Titcombe College, Egbe between 1972 and 1976. He furthered his studies at school of Basic Studies, Kwara State College of Technology Ilorin from 1976-1978.
He had his LL.B from the University of Ife, Ile Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in the year 1982.
Sir Bamigboye then proceeded to the Nigerian Law School where he obtained his B. L and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1983. He also has a masters degree in law from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in the year 2001.
Sir Bamigboye is a distinguished legal Practitioner and he was conferred with the rank of Seniour Advocate of Nigeria in the year 2015.
He is the principal partner of J. S. Bamigboye and CO. Sir Bamigboye was conferred with the Knighthood in the order of the Holy family, diocese of Kwara, Anglican communion in the year 2005, hence the prefix “Sir”.
He is a former chairman of the NBA Ilorin Branch between 2001 and 2003 and chairman, Kwara State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal in 1996.
Sir J. S. Bamigboye is also a chief having been conferred with the Bamofin of Jebba, Moro LGA of Kwara state in 2015.
He is happily married and blessed with children.
Dr. Joshua Olukayode Olatoke: Joshua Olukayode Olatoke, SAN, FCI Arb was born about five (5) decades ago to Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Olatoke in Igosun, Kwara State where he had his early life. He attended Muslim Primary School, Ganmo via Ilorin after which he proceeded to Baptist Grammar School, Igbaja from 1975 to 1980 for his Secondary school education and later proceeded to the Victory College of Commerce, Edidi, Kwara State between 1982 to 1983. He attended Kwara State College of Technology (Now Kwara State Polytechnic), Ilorin between 1984 and 1985 where he had his advanced level certificate.
He proceeded to the great University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University for his LLB degree between 1983 and 1988 and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar on 12th December 1989. He bagged his Masters of Law (LLM) degree in the year 1995 from the same Obafemi Awolowo University and his Masters of Philosophy in Laws (M.Phil.) in the year 2004. He also had his Ph.D. in law from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife in 2007. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the Nigerian Teachers Institute(NTI) in Kaduna, Kaduna State.
He rose to the peak of the profession when he was called to the Inner Bar in 2014, thus becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Also in 2015, he became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration (FCIArb) Nigeria.
After his call to Bar in 1989, he proceeded to Nsukka, Anambra (Now Enugu) State for his mandatory NYSC programme.
After his NYSC, he joined the law firm of Tejumola Adeyemi& Co., Ilorin where he worked between 1990 and 1994 before he proceeded to establish his own law firm, Kayode Olatoke & Co, Ilorin where he has been the Principal Partner till date.
He was a lecturer at the Department of Legal Studies, Kwara State Polytechnic from 1990 to 1998 before he crossed to the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, University of Ilorin, Ilorin from 1998 where he is till date. He is now an Associate Professor and Head of the Department.
