His death shook the country. The late Dr AbdulLateef Oladimeji Adegbite was larger than life. He was a devout Muslim; humanist and bridge builder. No wonder the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubabar, described his death as a loss to the Muslim community. A three-day fidau was held simultaneously in Lagos, Abeokuta and Abuja last Monday for the man, whose fame spread far and wide. TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO writes.
EVERYTHING was being done to usher him into the club of Octogenarians on March 20, next year. The events planners had concluded arrangements to secure the main bowl of the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) at Race Course, Lagos for the celebration of what was aptly tagged: “Lateef Adegbite at 80”. Then providence intervened, disrupting their plan. Alhaji AbdulLateef Oladimeji Adegbite, renowned Islamic leader and erudite lawyer, died last Friday, about seven months to his 80th birthday. Being an unassuming and quiet man, all he wanted if he had lived up to 80 was to gather a few friends and offer prayers to Allah. Ironically, the TBS, where his friends were planning to hold an elaborate 80th birthday for him, was the venue of his three-day Fidau on Monday.
Adegbite held key positions, prominent among which were Secretary-General of the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Baba Adini and Seriki of Egbaland.
As if he had the premonition of his death, Adegbite spent his last few weeks discharging some responsibilities through his aides.
Two days to his death, Adegbite, the pioneer National President of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), prayed for many people; peace and unity in Nigeria.
According to his widow, Alhaja Madinat, the Doctor of Law spent time, praying and admonishing the family.
“He enjoined us to be faithful to God, practise Islam in line with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad; tolerate people and do away with greediness,” Alhaja Madinat recalled.
“We never knew then that Baba was bidding us goodbye. The session with him was, indeed, long,” she added.
The crowd at his hometown, Onikolobo, Abeokuta, Ogun State, was massive when his remains were brought for interment on Saturday.
An early morning downpour was regarded by many as showers of blessings and a sign that he had found favour with Allah.
Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun supervised the preparations for the funeral including the grave.
Adegbite’s remains arrived with a large entourage comprising Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola; Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar; Alhaja Madinat; children and in-laws; Chairman, Lagos State Muslim Council (LSMC), Prof Tajudeen Gbadamosi; Executive Director, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Alhaji Abdullahi Shuaib; Nigerian-born Malaysian scholar Dr Ahmad Rufai and Mr Wale Shakiru.
His remains, in a silver colour casket, draped in clothes bearing Arabic inscriptions and designs of the Holy Kaaba, arrived in his compound at 3:35pm in a Mercedes hearse marked TOS 7.
The arrival of the body elicited the spontaneous chant of “Allahu Akbar,” from the waiting large number of sympathisers, friends and relations.
Representatives of monarchs in Egbaland came with their staffs of office.
After a brief Jannazah (Islamic funeral prayers), led by the Sultan and the Chief Imam of Egbaland, Alhaji AbdulLiadi Orunsolu, Dr Adegbite’s remains were lowered into the grave at 3:56pm.
He shared final resting place with his mother, his elder brother, the late Prof Saburi Biobaku, a great historian and former Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos; Biobaku’s wife and Adegbite’s first wife, the late Alhaja Taibat.
Afterwards, there were prayers and goodwill messages.
The session was anchored by the quintet of former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof Ishaq Oloyede; Prof Gbadamosi; Dr Rufai; Alhaji Shuaib and Amosun’s Deputy Chief of Staff Alhaji Shuaib Salisu.
Executive Secretary, Muslim Ummah in Southwest of Nigeria (MUSWEN) Prof Daud Noibi, delivered a lecture after the opening prayer by the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Alhaji Busari Suara Haruna III.
Guests later took turns to pay glowing tributes to the deceased.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of Interim National Government Chief Ernest Shonekan, Sultan Abubakar, Governors Amosun and Fashola and former Governor of the defunct Western State General Oluwole Rotimi described Adegbite as a bridge builder, an icon and a patriot who invested his time, energy and resources in uplifting mankind.
Obasanjo said the nation has lost an icon.
“But we take consolation in the fact that he lived a worthy life and left a legacy worthy of emulation. His place will be difficult to fill within our community, Egbaland and Nigeria. We pray that God will not leave us mourning and groping in the dark for a worthy replacement,” Obasanjo said.
According to Amosun, the rank of those whose toils and sweats got Nigeria Independence and nurture the nation is being depleted.
“His life was an admirable confluence of religion, tradition and civilisation, leaving indelible footprints in the sands of time,” he said.
For the late Adegbite, Fashola said, Islam came first, community came first, Nigeria came first.
“I am privileged to know that if he had put himself first, he would probably have lived longer, but he spent much more time for humanity; and that is the life of service that should be cherished by all of us and, perhaps, our multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious gathering here will help us move closer to the unity, the peace and the kind of Nigeria which he lived and died for,” the governor said.
Gen Rotimi in whose administration Adegbite served as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and later, Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice lamented:“I am bereaved.”
“He was not just my Commissioner but my personal friend. We entered King’s College together in 1950 and left in 1956. His words during my administration were governor’s words,” he said.
The Sultan said: “Words are not enough to express how Muslims accept the loss of this great servant of Allah. We have worked with him for six years and I know how much he had put his energy and resources to serve Muslims. The family has not lost anybody; the loss is for the Muslim Ummah.”
The deceased’s son, Oladipupo, thanked the guests on behalf of the family.
He said the late Egba High Chief believed in simplicity and worshippd God like nothing else.
“He taught us to be reputable in all things we do. We are, indeed, grateful for all the kind words,” he said.
The three-day Fidau was held simultaneously in Lagos, Abeokuta and Abuja.
Thousands thronged TBS for the Lagos event.
Alhaja Madinat and children sat in a long row beside the clerics.
The event featured prayers and recitations the Holy Quran, led by Chief Imam of Lagos, Sheikh Garuba Akinola Ibrahim and Baba Adinni of Lagos, Sheikh AbdulHafeez Abou.
Prof Noibi and National Missioner, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh AbdurRahman Ahmad, delivered soul-inspiring lectures before the floodgate of goodwill messages opened.
Those who spoke included: National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Lagos Deputy Governor Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu; Chairman, Jaiz Bank, Alhaji Umar AbdulMutalab; Chairman, Industrial and General Insurance Plc (IGI) Chief Remi Olowude; Dr Abdullateef Adetona of the Lagos State University (LASU); and Amir (President), MSSN Lagos State Area Unit, Alhaji Qasim Badrudeen.
They described as a “great leader.”
Tinubu said the deceased ensured that many students acquired education.
He said: “Dr Lateef Adegbite was a great father, a great brother, a great leader and an icon. He was a man we must emulate at all times. The simultaneous prayers holding here in Lagos and Abeokuta show that he had a great exit. This confirms the blessings of Allah on him.”
Alhaja Okuunu described Adegbite as a man with good listening ears and a good servant of Allah.
She said: “He nurtured many of us; as women, he was always there for us. He was extremely accommodating, caring and loving. I do not know anybody who did so much for the society like the late Adegbite.”
Olowude, who saw Dr Adegbite two days before his death, recalled how the deceased spent a long time praying for so many people and Nigeria as a country.
“He lived the life of a blameless individual. If there is anything called a ‘saint’ he was truly a saint,” the IGI chief said.
Alhaji AbdulMutalab, who had related with the late Adegbite for 25 years, said his death was shocking.
“It is going to be difficult to replace him,” he said.
Dr Adetona said the deceased wanted nothing but perfection.
Among the dignitaries at both events were Lagos State Deputy Governor Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Minister of Communication Technology Mrs Omobola Johnson; former Governors Olusegun Osoba (Ogun); Gbenga Daniel (Ogun) and Niyi Adebayo (EKit); former Lagos Deputy Governor Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu; Business mogul Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Mr Goodie Ibru; Chief Rasak Okoya; Secretary to the Ekiti State Government Alhaji Ganiyu Owolabi; Justice Ishola Olorunnimbe; Justice AbdurRashid Sahid; Prof AbdulFatah Mabadeje, his wife Prof Saida; Prof Taofeequat Odutola; Prof Muhib Opeloye; Prof Yahya Oyewole; Prof Is-haq Akintola; Senator Gbenga Kaka, Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Prince Surajudeen Adekumbi, Chief Alani Bankole, former Minister of Mines and Steel, Alh. Sharafadeen Tunji Ishola; Sheikh Dhikrullahi Shafi’I; Sheikh AbdulMajeed Ayinla; Amir, The Muslim Congress Mallan Luqman AbdurRaheem; Alhaji Hakeem Kosoko; Sheikh Mijitaba Giwa; Sheikh Rahman Gbajabiamila; former Editor of The Punch Alhaji Najeem Jimoh; Alhaja Sherifah Andu; Alhaji Fatai Olajide; Alhaja Fatimat Bintu Tinubu; Mr Musibau Adeniran; Mr Kola Onadipe; Mrs Ibidun Oshodi; and many others.
