Motorcycle Mechanic who became Senior Advocate

It is uncommon to hear the story of achievers, successful men and women who rose to the pinnacle of their professions without going through secondary school. Yet there are a number of such inspiring persons. What is most remarkable nonetheless is for one to scale those heights with little or no primary education. Worse still is when you start primary school at an age when some of your age mates are already in first year at the University!

And so it was that at a time when most 17 year olds were either seeking admission into higher institutions of learning or already enjoying campus life, a young man who was not ashamed to share learning space with seven years olds practically ran off from home to school.

Born on the 1st of January 1960, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa was well over 17 years old when he began primary school. The day was 3rd September, 1977 and he started from Primary 2 at Benue State Local School Board (BSLSB), primary School Ogbogbo in Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area, now in Kogi State.

His father never wanted him to go to school. The old man viewed western education with a lot of suspicion and would not hear of his child venturing near a school. But after years of hanging around children doing their homework, having private lessons and secretly learning from them; after all those periods of ‘stealing’ knowledge from borrowed school books of neigbours’ children; having tasted the joy and satisfaction of learning to read, count and add just by eavesdropping on those kids, young Jibrin could not take it any longer. He enrolled himself in a school.

Unfortunately, the hostility at home was more than he could bear. He got the full benefit of his father’s anger for that ‘misbehaviour.’ Consequently, despite successfully passing his final exams and being promoted to Primary three, he sadly dropped out of school. But then, he ran away from home. To Idah he ran. To his elder brother who was a motorcycle mechanic. From being an apprentice motorcycle mechanic, he learnt the trade. Thereafter, he joined another elder brother who was a Soldier at Abakaliki in Present day Eboyi state. He learnt another trade. Upholstery making. It was another hostile environment.