Elated day witnessโ sudden appearance vindicated me
Yahya Kale Saadu obtained a diploma in Law from the Kwara State Polytechnic in 1980. Afterwards, he proceeded to the University of Sokoto now Uthman Danfodio University, Sokoto State for his LL.B and graduated in 1985. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986. Subsequently, he bagged his NYSC certificate in 1987. Shortly after his Youth Service programme, he secured an appointment with the Kwara State judiciary as a magistrate and retired from the bench in 1991. He had a brief stint with M.A Sanni & Co. in 1992 and that same years established his law firm, Y. K. Saadu. He speaks with ourย JUDICIARY CORRESPONDENT, KAYODE ADEOTIย on his most unforgettable moment in the legal practice. Excerpts:
I’ve had many interesting and dramatic moments in court in the course of my legal practice but the one that comes to my mind now was the day I was asked to produce a witness and invariably put him in the dock.
On the eve of the day he was to appear in court, he sent a message that he won’t be able to appear giving excuse that he had exams to write. When he told me this, I just have to believe, we never discussed it together before. The following day when I got to the court, I informed the judge of the development.
The judge said, for any standard exam, the time table must have been released six month earlier. I politely responded that, ‘My Lord’, that only exist in the past. The judge got furious and asked me to stop arguing over the issue. Afterwards, I kept quiet.
The judge however wrote a lengthy ruling with an order that it should be sent to the employer of the witness, so that if there was any connivance, it will bounce back on me. Immediately he finished reading the ruling and stepped into his Chamber, the witness came in with question papers of the exam he wrote, I was very happy with this because it further proved that my submission before the court was right and genuine. I told him all what happened then he sought my counsel to meet the judge.
