This article, penned by Taiwo Adedeji, Esq., B.A., LL.B, LL.M, offers a poignant and personal reflection on the life and experiences of Adesina Ogunlana, a man whose remarkable courage and resilience stood out in the face of numerous adversities. Through vivid recounts of close encounters with danger and the unjust trials he endured, Adedeji paints a picture of Ogunlana’s unwavering spirit. As the narrative unfolds, the article sheds light on the challenges that defined Ogunlana’s journey, leaving a legacy that history will undoubtedly honor.
In this concluding part of my short tribute to the iconic Adesina “Aluta” Ogunlana, I begin where I left off in the first part. My intention is to eventually merge both parts for ease of reading.
Battles Against the Clampdown on “The Learned Squib”
This was a turbulent period in Ogunlana’s life as both a legal practitioner and an anti-corruption activist. Hon. Justice Sotuminu had issued a directive banning Squib magazine from the premises of all courts in Lagos State. Ogunlana defied the ban. Together, Ogunlana and I met with the then Chief Registrar of the High Court of Lagos State, Mrs. Toyin Taiwo (later Hon. Justice Toyin Taiwo), to clarify if the directive indeed came from the Chief Judge. The otherwise pleasant Mrs. Taiwo confirmed that the directive was from the Chief Judge. Ogunlana immediately declared that the unconstitutional directive would not stand. We instructed our administrative team to continue distributing the magazine to lawyers.
The Justice Sotuminu-led judicial authorities reacted violently, with the Chief Security Officer, Hassan Gunok, leading physical assaults on our staff, young boys and girls alike. On a particular day, we were at the Ikeja High Court, where Ogunlana was to lead me in a court appearance, when we received a call that our staff at the Lagos High Court in Igbosere were being attacked by security men enforcing the illegal ban on the Squib magazine. Ogunlana immediately raced down to Igbosere, leaving me to handle the Ikeja High Court case and monitor our staff at Ikeja.
While inside the courtroom at Ikeja, I was informed by a colleague that one of our staff, Miss Funmi Mendes, had been arrested by a security staff of the Lagos State judiciary. I went out to confront the security officer, who claimed he was merely carrying out a directive. I insisted that Funmi was just an ordinary staff member and told him to have his boss come for me instead. A senior colleague, Chief Victor Kolade, along with two other lawyers, intervened, ensuring the immediate release of the innocent young girl. I then took the copies of Squib magazine from Funmi and began distributing them to lawyers. Some of our enthusiastic colleagues bought copies at a solidarity price. I was ready for any daring security agent who might come after me.
During this time, I sighted the legendary Chief GOK Ajayi (SAN). I approached the elder statesman and informed him of the situation. Chief Ajayi, who was a supporter and adopted father to Ogunlana, advised me to remain calm and assured me that nothing would happen. He asked me to tell Ogunlana to see him.
The battle continued for days. When the Chief Judge Sotuminu discovered that the private security contractors within the High Court premises could not effectively enforce the draconian directive, men of the Nigerian Police from the Lagos State Command were brought in. Regular arrests followed, with volunteers selling the magazines being charged to court for “conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.” However, no one spent the night in police custody. A pressure group within the Nigerian Bar Association, the Progressive Bar Forum (PBF), stepped in to provide solidarity support. Ogunlana’s friend, Mr. Adejare Kembi, was always on hand to offer legal representation. Elders like Chief GOK Ajayi (SAN) and Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN, SAM) provided advisory roles. Ogunlana and Squib magazine survived the initial assaults.
Ogunlana Brought Before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC)
By 2002/2003, Squib magazine had grown in popularity, extending beyond the Lagos State section of the legal profession. It had been embraced by members of the profession outside Lagos. Notable supporters included the late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), later NBA President and Governor of Ondo State, and the late Mr. Wole Aina, a past Chairman of the NBA Ibadan branch.
After successfully resisting the directive to stop the circulation of Squib magazine, Justice Sotuminu petitioned the LPDC to try Ogunlana for “infamous conduct.” This marked the beginning of yet another battle. The petition sought to expel Ogunlana from the legal profession due to the Squib magazine’s publications, which the petitioner found offensive.
Chief GOK Ajayi (SAN) immediately took up the fight, offering his legal services pro bono to support Ogunlana before the LPDC. The battle shifted to Abuja, where the LPDC sits. Chief Ajayi never missed a sitting, bringing out his rich legal arsenal in defense of Ogunlana. By the rules, the NBA acts as the prosecutor at the LPDC. In Ogunlana’s case, the NBA was now being recruited to lead the assault on press freedom, which in itself posed moral dilemmas.
The case drained significant resources from Ogunlana and some of us, despite Chief Ajayi offering his services free of charge. We had to travel to Abuja by flight multiple times to join Chief Ajayi’s legal team in defending Ogunlana. After more than a decade of legal battles, Ogunlana prevailed.
Here, Chief GOK Ajayi (SAN), Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), and Mr. Wole Aina deserve special posthumous commendation for their unwavering support during the battle. Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN, SAM) also deserves honorable mention. Although Gani would have led the defense team, he deferred to Chief GOK Ajayi, who had previously defended him during his own travails in the Babangida era. Worthy men indeed.
The Battlefields of NBA Politics
Initially, Ogunlana did not set out to be a bar politician. He was making an impact in his growing practice and his anti-corruption crusade. However, his involvement with the Progressive Bar Forum (PBF) drew him into bar politics, where he later became actively involved. Each time he sought election into NBA offices, he won by landslide margins. He was elected as NBA General Secretary for the Ikeja branch in 2010, as Vice Chairman in 2012, and as Chairman in 2016.
The “Annulment” of His Election as NBA Ikeja Branch Chairman
In 2016, Ogunlana was elected by members of the NBA Ikeja branch to lead for two years, with his victory margin reflecting his popularity among lawyers. However, this marked the beginning of another battle in his struggle-filled life. After the election, the national leadership of the NBA under Augustine Alegeh (SAN) annulled Ogunlana’s election, citing a recently passed uniform bylaw. Article 6(3) of the bylaw disqualified candidates from contesting if they had held two previous offices within the last five years preceding the current contest. Although the law took effect in 2016, the NBA insisted it be applied retroactively.
We argued that established legal principles, backed by Supreme Court pronouncements and international best practices, dictated that a law penalizing past actions could not apply retroactively. Following the annulment of Ogunlana’s election, a sham by-election was conducted, purportedly returning Mr. Dele Oloke as NBA Ikeja branch chairman. We resisted the annulment. The majority of NBA Ikeja branch members expressed solidarity with Ogunlana, whom they had elected as chairman for the 2016-2018 administration. The minority, backed by the national NBA leadership under Oloke, only appeared at meetings to disrupt those presided over by Ogunlana. It was clear who held the mandate.
After nearly a year of regular disruptions at branch meetings, the new NBA leadership under AB Mahmoud (SAN) intervened to resolve the crisis. It was eventually resolved in favor of Ogunlana’s mandate after Mr. Dele Oloke withdrew from an election to test the popularity of the two contenders.
The Battles Against the Ambode Land Use Charge
The Lagos State government, led by Akinwunmi Ambode, introduced a toxic Land Use Charge policy. The revenue-driven policy was poised to make housing unaffordable for many struggling citizens, as it would result in prohibitive accommodation costs. Traditional trade union leaderships were becoming increasingly docile and unresponsive to the public outcry. Ogunlana mobilized the bar associations in Lagos State to resist the policy. He was offered a bribe, which he rejected. I am aware of an attempt by an agent of the Lagos State government to induce Ogunlana with a sum of ₦60 million to compromise the struggle. In the end, Ambode’s government was forced to back down on the draconian policy.
Other Notable Personal Battles
A book would be required to detail the life battles of the irrepressible and iconic Adesina Ogunlana. He faced the vicissitudes of life with calmness and determination.
Encounters with Armed Robbers
On multiple occasions, Ogunlana was attacked by armed robbers and other strange assailants. On one occasion, Ogunlana, Adenike Ayileka (née Adewusi), and I were returning from Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s (SAN) office. We were in Ogunlana’s Mazda 626 on top of the Anthony Oke Bridge when the car suddenly stalled due to an electrical fault. It was dark, and we were immediately surrounded by armed robbers. I was the first to be attacked, with the robbers forcefully taking my phone, which I instinctively (and almost recklessly) retrieved from them. Ogunlana immediately exited the vehicle, calmly telling the robbers that he was ready to cooperate and that they should take money without harming us.
The robbers, almost acting like zombies, immediately turned their attention to Ogunlana, taking all the money he had on him without even glancing in my direction again. Remarkably, none of them made any attempt to attack our precious Adenike, a beautiful young lady lawyer who was my junior colleague at Ogunlana’s Chambers.
The second encounter with armed robbers occurred inside the Chambers at 197 Ikorodu Road, Palm Grove. We often worked late into the night. On that particular day, Taiwo Akinlami, my friend and one of Ogunlana’s trusted associates from our LASU days, came to visit. The gunmen took advantage of one of our staff members entering the office after running an errand. We initially thought they were hired assassins.
Just a day before, Mr. Ogunlana had received a death threat from the mother of a Magistrate whose appointment was terminated by the Oyo State government following the Squib Magazine’s exposure of his past misconduct. This Magistrate had previously been dismissed for corruption as a junior Magistrate in Lagos. Ogunlana had stumbled upon an event in Ibadan, Oyo State, where the same dismissed Magistrate was being sworn in as a Chief Magistrate in Oyo State. The Squib Magazine carried the story, and after investigating his history, the Oyo State government promptly relieved him of his appointment.
The mother of the dismissed Magistrate called Ogunlana, threatening that he had only seven days to live. Although the threat sounded more like a spiritual one, which we didn’t take too seriously, when the gunmen suddenly invaded our office, we feared it was the threat being carried out. We managed to escape through the exit door, but both Nike and I lost our phones, while Taiwo Akinlami managed to escape with his Motorola phone.
Many were the afflictions of Adesina Ogunlana. In all these trials, he faced everything with uncommon courage and fortitude.
I refrain from delving into his recent travails concerning his political trial on totally unfounded allegations of corruption, as the case is still in court. Out of the three colleagues charged, two—Egbon Yinka Farounbi and Ogunlana—have embarked on the journey of no return. History is sure to absolve them. One person, Mrs. Aderinola Kappo, remains in the dock. For this reason, I will refrain from further comment for now.
Adesina Ogunlana now belongs to the ages. I hope to be alive to join in giving a befitting funeral to this worthy fellow come September 11th and 12th.
The article was written by Taiwo Adedeji, Esq. B.A, LL.B, LL.M
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.