Jawondo, DPP, Ijaodola, Razaq, Akintoye, others lead SAN race in Kwara

As the race for who becomes the next Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) enters the front burner in the country’s legal circles, lawyers of Kwara indigenes and practitioners in different jurisdictions across and beyond the state are looking forward with bated breath whether their applications which contains their exploits and jurisprudence among other things will be fortunate to get the nod of the LLPC. In this report, ACTING EDITOR, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM looks at those Kwarans and practitioners who have made their marks within and outside the state from the bar, bench and academic circles that have been shortlisted for the conferment of the prestigious honour if considered worthy by the LLPC.
After the gradual ease of activities across all sectors in the country which were initially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s judiciary after the leadership crises that followed the emergence of its new president, Olumide Akpata and the dis-invitation of Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state from its last virtual conference, set the stage for the annual routine of the conferment of the prestigious titles of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) on deserving practitioners who have submitted their application and have been shortlisted.
For the huge numbers of lawyers across the country, the conferment of SAN is the most important event as practitioners as it represents the attainment of the peak of their careers as legal officers. Interestingly, while Akpata’s name is missing from the list of the shortlisted candidates, many of those he is leading as the National President of the influential body (NBA) have signified their interest to vie for the position this time around.
While the rules for conferment are becoming more stringent yearly, many of the past beneficiaries and prospective awardees engage in practices and other fields of legal jurisprudence bearing in mind the importance of their industry and resourcefulness coupled with their character to make their conferment possible.
Last month, the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, a body which meets annually to promote lawyers to the highly-coveted status that often confers special privileges to holders including prioritised call of their cases, in a press release announced the short listed candidates that qualified after “both the advocate filtration stages and academic pre-qualification exercise; preparatory to the award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria for the year 2020”.
The LPPC added that “All qualified candidates short listed are graded under the category system of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee Guidelines, 2018.
Although the LLPC finally named 38 senior advocates from the over 100 that applied last year at the 138th meeting of the committee held on July 4th, it remain to be seen whether the incoming silks this year who will join the list of their illustrious colleagues in the profession will surpass or lessen that figure from the 137 shortlisted this year.
Back home in Kwara, many lawyers who are related and connected with the shortlisted candidates are fervently looking forward to the possible emergence of their colleagues, friends and relations as the race gradually enters the final segment and many of them have wished their colleagues the best of luck and prayers for them to be considered. But who are those Kwara indigenes and practitioners in the state that made the list?
About seven Kwarans and other practitioners in the state, it was gathered, reportedly scaled the criteria and short listing hurdle of the LLPC. They include the State-Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Salman Ayinla Jawondo, Kwara State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Barrister Jimoh Adebimpe Mumini and Dean of Law, Igbinedion University, Okada, Professor AbdulRasheed Ijaodola. Others are Adeola Omotunde Razaq, Akin Akintoye II and one Femi Aina (not the Ogun Senator).
Their Profiles
Salman Ayinla Jawondo: Born in 21st September, 1964, Barrister Salman Jawondo graduated from the University of Lagos in 1989 after which he proceeded to the Victoria Island campus of the Nigerian Law School and graduated in 1990, same year he was called to the Nigerian bar. He had his compulsory NYSC programme in Rivers state between 1991 and 1992. Upon his return to Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, he practised with Ismail Sadiq and Alhaji Salman Alarape (SAN). He established his law firm, Salman Jawondo & Co. in 2005. He is former chairman and Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Ilorin branch and also a member of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, North Central Zone. In 2019, he was appointed as member of the Transition Committee of the Kwara State Governor Elect, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and also member of the Council of Elders of the NBA, Ilorin. He is the present Attorney-General and Kwara State Commissioner for Justice.
Mumini Adebimpe Jimoh: Jimoh was born in 1964 and a native of Asa and attended the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife from where he graduated in 1989 and obtained his LLM in 2004. He is a 1990 attendee of the Lagos Law School and was called to the Nigerian bar same year. He was employed into the Kwara State Ministry of Justice in 1992 as State Counsel II and rose through the ranks to the position of Director of Public Persecution (DPP) in 2004, a position he occupies till date. He is a member of the Kwara State Criminal Justice committee, board member of KWIRS and member of Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (2000-07). He is also a member of Kwara State Committee on Religious Harmony and Criminal Justice Committee. He had handled several prosecution for the government from the High Court to Court of Appeal among others.
Adeola Omotunde Razaq: From Igbaja in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Barrister Adeola Omotunde Razaq graduated from the University of Lagos in 1984 and obtained his master from University of Ilorin in 1993. He attended the Igbinedion University, Okada for his Ph.D in 2020. He worked in the law office of Wole Olanipekun & Co. where he rose to become the HOC before he established his private practice Adeola Omotunde & Co. in 2007.
Prof AbdulRasheed Ijaodola: From Offa in Kwara South, Professor AbdulRasheed Ijaodola had his education at Roman Catholic and Middle School in Ghana. He attended the University of Lagos for his first degree in Law and called to the bar on July 30, 1984. He later served in Lagos State and had his master’s degree in University of Lagos. He also attended University of Jos, University of Ilorin and Igbinedion University for his post-graduate and doctorate degrees in Law and religious studies and though a Muslim, he obtained PhD in Christian Religious Studies and three other doctorates. He is the present Dean of Law, Igbinedion University, Okada, in Edo State.
Barrister Akin Akintoye: Aged 59, Akin Akintoye is one of the veteran legal luminaries based in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. He secured his LL.B at then University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun State in 1984. He later attended the Nigerian Law School in 1985 and was subsequently called to the bar the same year. He bagged his Masters Certificate in Law from OAU and in Business Administration from the University of Ilorin and was formerly in the teaching field at the two aforementioned institutions for 15 years before moving into full legal practice. He is the current Principal of Akin Akintoye & Co. established in 1963 by his late father, the first residence chambers in the then middle belt region. Although from Ondo State, Akintoye has been practicing in Kwara for over 35 years and was the chairman of Ilorin Bar Dinner, Biennial Law Week Committee, NBA Ilorin Bar Award and Privileges Committee and member of the Elders.
Other Kwara indigenes and practitioners include Femi Aina and Taiye Oladipo.