Ex Supreme Court Justice Galadima, BOSAN, legal luminaries eulogise late Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN

… His death is a big loss, shocking and sad – Galadima

… He gave purposeful, courageous and effective leadership – Awomolo

… lived a life of honour and integrity – Okocha

… a quintessential bar man – Agbakoba

… a colossus – Bayo Ojo

… very instrumental in bringing up the young ones – Izinyon

… a trail blazer – Ngige

… a man of unbridled exploits and excellence – Onoja

By Lillian Okenwa

For the several lives he impacted. For the many lawyers whose growth and establishment he saw to, the death of Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, first Senior Advocate of Nigeria of Northern extraction, a former Attorney General of the Federation, ex-Chairman, Body of Benchers, among other caps, came as shock. It was barely two weeks after his 82nd birthday.

Described as inspiration and a major stabilising force, he was one of those who quietly worked to get the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) back on track after the Port Harcourt crisis in 1992. Tributes have continued to pour in following his passage on Sunday, 24th January, 2021.

“A true mentor. Humble. A Perfect gentleman.” Those were the words retired Supreme Court Justice Suleiman Galadima used to define Alhaji Ibrahim, SAN. Galadima who met him through former Chief Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, recalled that the late Silk played a vital role in his appointment as the first Chief Judge of Nasarawa State.

“My appointment as the first Chief Judge of Nasarawa State became controversial,” Galadima recalled. “Somebody wanted to be there but he was in the Customary Court of Appeal and also my senior. So Uwais who was CJN at that time intervened and said he couldn’t cross over from the Customary Court of Appeal to be Chief Judge. His argument was that those in the High Court handle more cases and encounter a mix of more complex matters than those at the Customary Court of Appeal. Abdullahi who was then the Attorney General of the Federation also waded into the matter and it was eventually resolved in my favour.

“That’s how I came to know him personally. Another encounter was when the CJN (Uwais) called me and said there’s a vacancy at the Court of Appeal and the slot is for Nasarawa state. Alhaji Abdullahi as I later found out was in the CJN’s office when that call was being made. That’s how I knew they were very close. Even when I became a Justice of the Supreme Court, he’ll pay me surprise visits. He’ll always reach out and kept in touch. I can never forget him.

“He was a perfect gentleman. Humble. A true mentor. About five senior Advocates of Nigeria emerged from his chambers and about the same number of judges also came from his chambers. Anyone who went through his chambers is sure of thorough mentoring and being properly established. Some of them came through the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and he just retained them. His death is a big loss, shocking and sad.”

“He was a forthright and very consistent mentor to most junior legal practitioners in Nigeria,” Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, reminisced.

Expressing deep sadness over the demise, Awomolo in his tribute further stated thus: “Alhaji Abdullahi SAN, OFR, CON, was known as the Doyen of the Legal profession in Abuja. He gave purposeful, courageous and effective leadership to the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria. He was a legal icon who lived a very dignified and fulfilled career. His life of service to the Nation was unequalled; he was uncompromising on issues of ethics. He abhorred corruption and abuse of office in whatever form or shape. He was concerned by the state of the judiciary and was always eager to speak for the welfare and respect for the rule of law. He approached public issues with maturity and the desire to ensure unity in the diversity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“I personally enjoyed his mature mentorship, his strong leadership quality in the Body of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and counselling on professional challenges that was never taught at the Law school.

“He adopted my wife as a daughter and he played significant role in her professional growth. He was perhaps one of the last of the British trained and seasoned legal practitioners in Nigeria.”

Speaking with Law & Society over the telephone, Chairman, Body of Benchers Chief OCJ Okocha, SAN, extolled Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim as “one of the institutions we can point at in our legal profession in Nigeria.”

Additionally, the former NBA President in his tribute remarked that: “He has been everything in the profession including AGF and Chairman of the Body of Benchers which is perhaps the highest position any legal practitioner can attain in the profession. But he lived a good life; a life of honour and integrity in every position in which he served. He served with patriotism and zeal. He loved Nigeria and I believe he dedicated his life to ensuring that all will be well with our country. Many of us who knew him closely will miss him. I pray that almighty God will grant his soul eternal rest in peace and also grant comfort and consolation to his loved ones.”

Likewise, another onetime NBA President, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, described him in glowing terms.

“The late Alhaji Abdlullahi Ibrahim CON SAN, was very well known to me as an elder senior. He was held in very high esteem in both legal and judicial circles. He was a quintessential bar man having accomplished many distinguished honours and positions. He was named as Attorney General of the Federation; no surprise to the legal and judicial community. A position with which he became not unsurprisingly most distinguished. May the memory of Alhaji Ibrahim be a blessing and may his soul rest in perfect peace.”

Meanwhile, another erstwhile President of the Bar and former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, said he received the news with shock.

“I was shocked when I received the news of the demise of Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN. He was not only a mentor but someone whom we all looked up to in the legal profession and sought his advice even on non-legal issues all the time. He was always there for us. He was a colossus in the legal firmament who made unquantifiable contributions to the legal profession, and our jurisprudence. He will be sorely missed. May the Almighty God comfort his family. May his soul rest in peace.”

Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN,on his part insists that: “Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN was one of the foremost legal minds Nigeria ever had.”

“One thing that stood clear about him and his personality is his humility,” the popular Abuja lawyer recollected. “Despite all these laurels, these achievements, here is a man who was extremely humble. You’ll never get a foul language from him or any aggression or any countenance that shows anger. A purely urbane man and even when he feels annoyed, there a way he puts it calmly. And in terms of reaching out, he will be the one checking up on juniors. He’ll ask of your family, your welfare. He was a good father and role model. We’ll really miss him a great lot. He was so detribalised, apolitical, not a religious bigot.  

“He stepped into very good areas of achievement and was very instrumental in bringing up the young ones. You can imagine how many senior advocates that have been produced in his chambers over the years. The first was A.T Ajala, SAN of the blessed memory; one of these foremost men from Oyo state and a fantastic gentleman. I had the privilege of appearing with him on the other side in those days. Then Tunji Oyeyipo, SAN, one of my alumni from the University of Ibadan. He was with Alhaji Ibrahim as far back as 1992. We have Rotimi Ogunweso, Bisi Soyebo, and others. These are not people from his own place and I’m not even talking about people who were not in his chambers that he enabled to improve.

“He was a simple man, not given to greed, avarice or ostentatious living. He embodied simplicity and we’ll really miss him.”

Chairman, Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN said the death was another huge loss to the bar and the country. Ngige in a statement made available to Law & Society described him as a trail blazer and a distinguished legal practitioner. The statement reads:

“The death of Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, CON marks yet another sad depletion from the ranks of those elders at the Bar, who qualified in the sixties and who greatly helped to shape the course of our legal system. Alhaji’s death is not only a big loss to the Nigerian nation but to the legal profession in particular. Alhaji was a trail blazer and a distinguished legal practitioner. He was a Barman per excellence.

“He was the first Northerner to be admitted to the Inner Bar in 1982. He was the Attorney-General of the Federation who midwifed the transition to civil rule culminating in the promulgation of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Alhaji was interested and active in the affairs of the Nigerian Bar Association and it was no surprise that he was appointed one of the registered trustees of the Association. He also held the same position in the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN). He also served as Chairman of Body of Benchers Disciplinary Committee and later became the Chairman of the esteemed Body.

“On a personal note, I interacted closely with Alhaji on several occasions which made lasting impressions on me that he was a detribalised, generous, humble, humane, accessible and quintessential lawyer. In 1998 when he was the Attorney-General of the Federation under Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar regime he instructed Mr. Fidelis Nwadialo, SAN (now of blessed memory) and my humble self to appear for the Federal Government of Nigeria and defend several cases instituted by some accused bank chief executives undergoing trial for financial malpractices in their banks. In one of the cases, the trial judge attempted to send Mr Nwadialo and myself to prison for appealing against his judgment and asking for stay of execution. Alhaji Ibrahim stood firmly behind us and gave us all the support needed to stave off the intimidation by the said judge.

“Again when I ran for the NBA presidency in 2012, Alhaji Ibrahim based on my programme and manifesto, blessed my candidature despite pressures mounted on him by certain persons to backtrack. Though my ambition did not eventually succeed, my relationship with Alhaji continued to grow from strength to strength. Indeed, I hearkened to his advice not to litigate the outcome of that flawed election in the law courts.

“Alhaji Ibrahim was among the first to congratulate me when I was appointed the Chairman, Council of Legal Education in May 2019. He was generous in offering his candid opinion and advice on various challenges facing legal education in Nigeria. His counsel on several issues affecting the legal profession generally in Nigeria will be greatly missed.

“Alhaji Ibrahim prepared well for his exit from this planet. As a first step towards his retirement from active legal practice, he wrote his memoirs -‘A Life Shared’ which was published in 2013. Thereafter he exited from his law firm, Abdullahi Ibrahim & Co and handed over to a team of talented and hardworking legal practitioners comprising of Tunji Oyeyipo, SAN, Bisi Soyebo, SAN, Rotimi Oguneso, SAN, Abiodun Olatunji, SAN, Dipo Tolani, Esq and a host of others. “The law firm continues to grow from strength based on the solid foundation laid by its founder.

“Finally I commiserate with members of his family, his colleagues in Abdullahi Ibrahim and Co, members of Body of Benchers and to the legal community in Nigeria. May Allah in His Infinite Mercies forgive him his transgressions and grant his soul eternal rest.”

“We have indeed lost a legal colossus and a humanitarian of incomparable pedigree”, grieved Chief Ogwu James Onoja, SAN.

The Publisher/Editor in Chief of Bar and Bench Publishers Limited, in his tribute titled: TRIBUTE TO A LEGAL LORD AND NOBLE GENTLEMAN, wrote:

“It is with great sadness that I make tribute this day in honour of late Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN. I am sad not because he was too young to die but because he died at a time the nation is going through a lot of infantile challenges that needed patriotic, selfless and devoted Nigerians like him to deploy his wealth of experience in nation building and leadership in aid of these challenges.

“Late Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN was a father, role model, detribalized Nigerian and national hero. He had while alive distinguished himself in various stages of human endeavour both as a public servant and a private Legal Practitioner. He was a lawyers’ lawyer who had mentored younger lawyers that have today become phenomenon themselves and risen to the highest echelon in the legal profession.

“He was a man of unbridled exploits and excellence. He was an epitome of intellectualism and accomplishment. He served the nation in many capacities and was a four time Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to wit; Minister of Education, Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Transport and Aviation and as Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

“Late Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN was privileged to be the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria of Northern origin. His demise is not just a loss to the Igala Nation of Kogi State from where he originated but the nation Nigeria as a whole. We have indeed lost a legal colossus and a humanitarian of incomparable pedigree.  

“In the words of William Shakespeare in one of his literary works Julius Caesar he said: ‘Death is a necessary end, will come when it will come.’

“It has thus pleased God Almighty to call our father and hero home. We are consoled by the fact that he died a fulfilled man and at a ripe age. His legacies and giant strides in all facets of human live, remain enviable and indelible.

“It is my prayer that God in his infinite mercy grant him eternal rest. Adieu my hero, my pride!”

The Body of Senior Advocates, BOSAN had earlier released a statement on the incident. The statement signed by its secretary, Seyi Sowemimo, SAN reads:

“The BOSAN Secretariat wishes to announce the demise of one of our trustees: Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim OFR, CON, SAN who died today, Sunday, 24th of January, 2021.

“The late Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim was born on the 14th day of January, 1939 (82 years old), called to the English Bar in 1963 and the following year was called to the Nigerian Bar. He was at different times legal adviser at the then Ministry of Finance, Northern region and New Nigeria Development Company; a one-time Senior State Counsel and head of prosecutions at the Ministry of Justice, Kano State.

“He was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1982 and served as member, Privileges Committee of the Bar from 1987 to 1991. He also served as the Chairman, Legal Aid Council from 1990 to 1994. He was a Notary Public, a Life member of the Body of Benchers and its Vice Chairman and Chairman between 1999 and 2001. He thereafter served as Chairman, Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee between 2001 and 2006 and a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC) between 2004 and 2008.

“He was a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigeria (FCIArb) and Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) (MCIArb); also a Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Nigeria (FINALS).

“Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim served the nation at various times in several capacities as Commissioner for Education in the old Kwara State, Nigeria (1973) in the cabinet of Brigadier General David Bamigboye; Federal Minister of Education, Science and Technology; Minister of Transport and Aviation (1984-1985) in the cabinet of General Muhammadu Buhari and as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (1997-1999) in the cabinet of General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

“He was a Commissioner, International Boundary, National Boundary Commission from 2000 to 2006. He was a member of the Nigerian team that successfully negotiated the Maritime Boundary Treaty between Nigeria and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and also the Unitization Agreement of the Zafiro/Ekanga oil fields. He was Nigeria’s Agent and later Co-Agent in the dispute between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Cameroon at the International Court of Justice, the Hague Netherlands. Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim also led the Nigerian delegation to the United Nations conference on the establishment of the International Criminal Court.

“In acknowledgement of his contribution to the Nation, he was conferred with the National Honour/Award of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) and later Commander of the Order of Niger (CON). Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim was Chairman, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Kaduna Branch and the first Vice President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 1989. He was Chairman, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs from 1988 to 1994 and also Chairman of New Nigeria Development Company between 1992 and 1998.

“He was conferred with honorary Doctorate Degree in Law (LLD, Honoris Causa) by the University of Kogi State, Nigeria in 2008. Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim was a seasoned Arbitrator and a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, Netherlands.

“Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim OFR, CON, SAN is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren. Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim SAN will be buried in Kogi State tomorrow (Monday 25th) in accordance to Muslim rites. May the soul of Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim OFR, CON, SAN and the souls of other faithful departed Rest in Peace. Amen.”

Speaker and Seminar Leader, Byron R. Pulsifer sums it all up: “Character is not something that you buy; it is not a commodity that can be bartered for; it is not a quality suited for only the rich and famous; rather, character is built upon the foundational commitment of love, honesty, and compassion for others.”

That is the testimony of Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, Senior Advocate of Nigeria.