By Abubakar D. Sani, Esq.

It’s been a long time now -

Since the penultimate week

Of the tenth month of 1986

‘Is it that long? – Holy Cow!’




I hear you say

‘It’s surely been an age!’

Yes, indeed, when we penned our names

In the School for aspiring advocates –




As we sought to walk in the footsteps

Of at least four generations

Of our forebears

Proud inheritors –




Of the banner

Of the Honourable Profession

Of Legal Practitioners

Private, Official and Law Lords –




The Bench, that is

So good was the experience

The camaraderie

And the ambience







That one was ever-so-eager

To attend classes

I honestly doubt that

There were cases of truancy




What with the stellar

Academic cast

Led by the inimitable B.A. Ibironke, SAN (r.i.p)

Knowledgeable, strict, uncompromising




During his time as the School Director

Exam malpractices were unheard of

Instead, standards were never higher

And that remains, till date, the benchmark




But a General is nothing

Without his troops

So, was Ibironke – eminently

To say that his staff was good –




Would be an understatement

They included D.V.F Olateru-Olagbegi

Mrs. (now Justice) Amina Augie

Messrs. Fawole and Fagbure




Mr. Adubi,

Mrs. Doherty

And Mr. Kole Abayomi -

All of blessed memory




Others were the likes of

Mr. Anaekwe and

Mr. Onadeko, SAN

(Who later became the Director)




Not to forget

Ms. Toun Oni (who can?!)

Mr. Yusuf, and

Mrs. Taiwo




Suffice it to say

That those were the good old days

The days of innocence

Of non-interference




In the School’s administration

A far cry from the present situation

When the usual Nigerian factor

Has split the School into several locations




With the inevitable fall in standards

Leading to the unthinkable -

The spectacle of counsel

Struggling to string sentences together




Even worse

Are confirmed reports

Of counsel resorting

To open criminality




Such as fabricating court judgements -

In furtherance of applications for ‘Silk’

(It’s so coveted now, it’s hard to believe that it’s a privilege)

And of counsel – who are ex officio Justices of the Peace -




Engaging in physical combat

(In one instance, one of them was pregnant!)

In yet another, in open court

Such is the rot




Surely, this is not

The banner we inherited

From our illustrious predecessors

As aptly captured by Ibironke




In his message

In the School’s Year Book

For the period under review

That is, 1986 – 1987




When he enjoined us

To be conscious of

The responsibilities

Of our calling




He further admonished us

That there was no room in the profession

For the indolent or insolent

The mediocre or sloven




Happily (at the risk of immodesty)

No member of our Class

Has been found wanting

In this regard




A class, comparable to the Ivy League

Which has produced so many

Trail-blazers in all fields

That we are rightly the object of envy –




No exaggeration

As, our colleagues –

Ahead of, and behind us

Frequently consult and solicit our ‘Silk’




For inspiration, ‘briefs’

‘Connections’, mentorship

And everything in between

They are truly a force to reckon with




A roll-call

At this juncture

Ought to make it all-too-clear

(Errors and omissions excepted!)




So, here goes:

They include Rickey Tarfa,

Aliyu Saiki, Kemi Pinheiro,

Steve Adehi, Adekunle Oyesanya




Sam Ologunorisha,

Ibrahim Bawa, Abdul Ajana

Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma

Olalekan Yusuf, Hassan Liman




Oluseun Akinbiyi

Adetunji Oyeyipo

Wale Akoni

Biriyai Dambo




Supo Shasore,

Sunday Ameh

Benbella Anachebe,

Olusola Oke




Seye Opasanya, Richard Ahonaruogho

Nasiru Dangiri, Tawo E. Tawo

Chuwkuma-Machukwu Ume

And Yusuf Akirikwen




We are represented

On the Bench

By at least two dozen

Erudite and cerebral jurists




Starting with the Court of Appeal,

Where we have Hon. Justices Uche Onyemenam

James Abundaga & Danlami Senchi

Below that, in Lagos, we have Hon. Justices Oyebanji, Ogunjobi & Ogala




In neighbouring Ogun,

We have Hon. Justices Adetokunbo Jibodu

And Sonia Akinbiyi

While in Oyo we have Hon. Justices Akintola and Bolaji




In Imo, we have Hon. Justices Victoria Isigizoro,

Chinyere Madu and Marcel Nwagboso

While in Edo, we have Hon. Justices Courage-Ogbebor

And Igo Braimoh




In Rivers, we have Hon. Justice Chigozie

In Anambra, Hon. Justices Nwankwor & Nweze

and in Ondo by Hon. Justice Kolawole

We are also represented in Benue –




By Hon. Justice Theresa Shija

In the Plateau by Hon. Justice Nafisa L. Musa

In Enugu, by Hon. Justice Okechukwu Onovo

And, at the Federal High Court, by Hon. Justices Kuewumi, Okeke, Onu & Agomoh




In the far North, precisely in Kano

We have Hon. Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu

While her Lordship’s surname-sake (Hon. Justice Hussaina)

Serves in neighbouring Jigawa




In academia,

They don’t come higher

Than the School’s Director-General

Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN




Yes - he is an alummus of our set!

Also flying the flag

Is Prof. R.A.C.E. Achara

He has been put to the test –




And came out in flying colours

As did Prof. Jamila Nasir, Dr. Ese Malemi

And others too numerous to mention

It would, however, be a travesty –




To omit Pa Julius Adelusi

As a young man, he trained as a pharmacist

But went on, in his forties

To beat others far younger than him –




To clinch the best graduating student award

Among other prizes, of course

Also deserving of honourable mention

Are alummi who shone under the present dispensation




The likes of Distinguished Senator Ike Ikweremadu

And Chief Emeka Wogu

Erstwhile Deputy Senate President

And Minister, respectively




So, we are justifiably proud

To beat our chests

And say we are among the best

Out of the thousands turned out –




By the School

Little wonder

Our social media forums

Are ever-so-cool




In fact, it’s no exaggeration

To say that the quality of posts and chats

(Especially on Whatsapp)

Is second-to-none




Never mind the occasional flare-up

Among members – always quickly resolved

In the spirit of ‘No Victor, No Vanquished’,

‘Let’s agree to disagree’




Having said this, however,

The worsening security situation in Nigeria

Has not spared our members -

This has manifested in bitter brick-bats




Perhaps, our primordial sentiments

And base prejudices

Have overcome our professional calling

As learned men - and women




Who – like the learned jurists

In our midst

Are expected to be detached

And rational –




Most – if not all – of the time

Alas, sustained governance deficits

Have pushed us all to the limits

Of our patience – if not our minds




To that, I say:

‘Hope springs eternal’

May we never see the day

When brother turns against brother




We are all related – yes

Albeit, not in a consanguine sense

But, in its broader meaning

Of our shared humanity




Ties, experiences

And professional calling

Precisely what

The Law School stands for




So, my learned friends,

I say: let’s always strive to keep our heads

When everyone else (read “the unlearned”)

Is losing theirs



Both in our private

And public interactions

That way we would bequeath a banner without stain

To generations yet unborn.

Abubakar D. Sani, Esq. 1st May, 2021