By Kayode Adeoti
Last Wednesday will remain indelible in the annals of the Kwara State Judiciary, following the appointment of four judges in the State High Court and Sharia Court of Appeal.
The appointment was confirmed by the National Judiciary Commission (NJC) sequel to the recommendation of the state Judiciary Service Commission (JSC).
The High Court Chief Registrar, Olalekan Adegbite and Director of Civil Litigation, Hammed Aliyu Gegele are appointed as High Court judges.
Also elevated to the upper bench cadre at the Sharia Court of Appeal are the Chief Registrar, Sarafadeen Anafi and a Lagos-based legal practitioner, Abdulrraheem Ahmad Sayi.
The judicial officers are expected to be sworn-in on a date yet to be announced by the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdufatah Ahmed.
Before now, there have been serious agitations among legal practitioners for recruitment of judges since Justice Mary Afolayan bowed out of active service in 2017.
The legal practitioners are of the opinion that appointment of more judges to replace the retired ones will enhance smooth dispensation of justice in the state.
Their Profiles:
Olalekan Adegbite: Adegbite attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1986 to 1989. Afterwards, he had his National Youth Service programme in 1990 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1991.
Before his LL.B, Adegbite who hails from Offa, Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State was working with the Ministry of Justice. He joined the Ministry as Assistant Registrar in 1984 and held sway till 1991.
He became Registrar in 1991 and served in that capacity till 1994 when he was promoted to Higher Registrar. He was also in that office till 1997.
Subsequently, he became Senior Registrar. He was later converted to Magistrate (grade II). He rose through the ranks to become Chief Registrar of the Kwara State High Court in 2014. This is the position he occupied until his recent appointment as High Court Judge.
Sarafadeen Anafi: Anafi did Arabic and Islamic Studies from the Bayero University, Kano State between 1987 – 1990. After his LL.B at the same University, between 1990 and 1995, he went to Law School and was subsequently called to Bar in 1996. He did his compulsory one year National Youth Service programme in the Ogun State Ministry of Justice and later External Affairs between 1996 – 1997. Upon his return to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, he went into private practice, he joined the Chambers of late M.A Sanni SAN, he left the SAN in 2000 to enter into partnership with S.I Muhammed and S.B Aluko. In 2004, Anafi joined the State Ministry of Justice as Magistrate Grade II through Judiciary Service Commission (JSC). He had served as magistrate in different places within the State, including Jebba, Omu-Aran and Osi. He was the pioneer magistrate of Osi and Oro Ago. In 2013, after he was transferred from the High Court to Sharia Court of Appeal, that same year, he was made the DCR Litigation, the office he managed till 2016 and in 2018, he was promoted to DCR Admin. Also in that same year, he was appointed Chief Registrar of the Sharia Court, the position he held until his latest confirmation as Sharia Court Khadi.
Hammed Aliyu Gegele: Gegele, who hails from Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara State, was born in 1966. He had his LL.B in Islamic Law from the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto State in 1996 and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar in 1998. After his National Youth Service programme, he joined the Chambers of Adisa Ololu. Afterwards, Gegele did his Law attachment with Adebayo Adelodun SAN in 1997. In 1999, he was employed by the Ministry of Justice and served as Counsel in Civil Litigation Department from 1999-2007 and in Public Prosecution from 2007 – 2009. In 2009, he became the Director of the Public Defender, in the Ministry of Justice, the position he held till 2014 when he was made Director Civil Litigation. Early in 2012, he bagged his Masters in Law (LL.M) from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. Gegele was member, Governing Council, College of Health Technology Offa from 2012 to 2014. He is equally, member, Governing Council, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin from 2014 till date. In April 2019, his appointment was confirmed by NJC as High Court Judge.
Abdurraheem Ahmad Sayi: Sayi also hails from Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State and was born in 1975. A holder of LL.B (Combined Honours) in Common and Islamic Laws from Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, he is currently the Principal Partner, A. A. Sayi & Co. (Qist Chambers), Lekki (Scheme 1), Lagos and Qadi, Independent Shari’ah Panel of Lagos State. He also bagged diploma in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Institute of Arabic and Islamic Guardiance in Lagos State, from 1995 and 1996.
He is the Convener (Executive Director/CEO) of ClearPath Islamic Centre, Lekki, Lagos – an intellectual and missionary initiative of widely attested impact, which has abundantly enjoyed the admiration and patronage of many distinguished professionals, captains of industries, senior civil/public servants and accomplished personalities, from diverse spheres of life. The Chief Imam of SilverPoint Central Mosque, Badore, Ajah-Lagos, Imaam Sayi – as so fondly called – is also member of the Advisory Committee of Experts (ACE) (Shari’ah Advisory Committee), Sterling Bank Plc. (Non-Interest Banking).
He has authored a number of works and has to his credit, several valuable and high-profile lectures and presentations; such as the British Council lecture on Peace Building; the African Development Bank lecture on Attaining Sustainable Economic Development: Islamic Perspective; MPAC Convention lectures on Islamic economics and National Unity, Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN)’s Continuing Legal Education lecture on Administration of Estate under Islamic Law and numerous lectures across several Nigerian Universities and Colleges.
He has great passion for impactful and strong bias for Islamic Law; especially, the relevance and effective application of Islamic Law within the contexts and dynamics of contemporary intricacies; hence, special concentration on Islamic Commercial Law (Fiqhul-Mu’aamalaat), juristic exertion (ijtihaad), Bases of legal opinions (Usoolul-Fiqh), philosophy, rationale and intendments of Islamic Law (Maqaasid al-Sharee’ah) and Islamic Procedural law (Muraafa’aat),etc.
