On Sunday, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), referred to the late attorney general and judge Bola Ajibola as a “patriotic” Nigerian whose contributions to human progress would outlive him.
“It is impossible to overstate his contributions to the growth of our legal system. In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said that his patriotism, integrity, and passion for helping others and advancing humanity would live on.
President Buhari expressed his condolences to the Ajibola family for the loss of their father and son in a statement titled “President Buhari mourns outstanding jurist, Bola Ajibola.”
Born on March 22, 1934 in Owu, near Abeokuta, present-day Ogun State, to the Owu royal family of Oba Abdul-Salam Ajibola Gbadela II, Ajibola attended Owu Baptist Day School and Baptist Boys’ High School in Abeokuta between 1942 and 1955. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Law at the Holborn College of Law, University of London between 1959 and 1962 and was called to the English Bar at the Lincoln’s Inn in 1962. Afterwards, Ajibola returned to Nigeria to practice Law, specialising in Commercial Law and International Arbitration. He was at different times, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (1984-1985), President, The World Association of Judges, Chairman, Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria and President, World Bank Administrative Tribunal among other notable accomplishments.
Buhari pointed out that the late Ajibola took his legal expertise to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where he served honorably between 1991 and 1994, after reaching the pinnacle of his career.
From 1999 to 2002, he also served as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK.
Buhari expressed his sympathies to the legal profession in Nigeria and around the world while noting that the “outstanding lawyer and Eminent Jurist” used his God-given skills to promote justice, fairness, and equity in all of his endeavors both inside and outside of Nigeria.
He declared, “His contributions to the growth of our legal system cannot be overstated, having served as the Attorney General and Minister for Justice at a pivotal juncture in the history of the country.
His commitment to serving others and advancing humanity, along with his patriotism and integrity, will live on.
Buhari also expressed sympathy to the Ogun State administration and populace as they mourned the illustrious citizen for the social and educational advancements he brought to his neighborhood and surroundings.
He asked God to grant him Aljannah in his prayer.
