Eminent jurists and lawyers have bid activist-lawyer, the late Bamidele Aturu, farewell amid tributes.
Members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja branch, where Aturu belonged, last Thursday, paid their last respects to a man they describe as a fallen hero.
To them, Aturu was a true activist, and not one of those who made noise merely to be noticed.
The programme, a valedictory court session, was billed for 9am. But by 8am, fully robed lawyers had filled the premises of the Ikeja branch Bar Centre, venue of the event.
At 8.45a.m, motorcade and pall bearers conveying the remains of the legal giant drove into the compound accompanied by Bar leaders from the branch and Aturu’s family members.
Chairman of the Governing Council, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Prof. Chidi Odinkalu noted that Aturu’s pan-Nigerian outlook was deepened by his leadership of the student union movement.
At the Adeyemi College of Education, in Ondo, where he obtained his first degree in Physics Education, Aturu was elected President of the Students Union and emerged as one of the leading young voices against military rule in Nigeria at a time when it was quite dangerous to do such things. Yet, in 1987, he graduated with a first class degree and as the best student from the college.
Admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1995, Aturu did his tutelage under Prof. Itsejuwa Sagay (SAN), a former Dean of Law at two leading law faculties in University of Benin and Univrsity of Ife. Simultaneously, Aturu became one of the leaders of the United Action for Democracy (UAD), which led the resistance to the regime of General Sani Abacha.
“He was an unrelenting advocate for open government and against corruption, on which matters he advised various entities, including the United Nations and the International Labour Organisation. When the advocacy for a freedom of information (FoI) law in Nigeria was flagging in 2009, Aturu used the moment of his 45th birthday in 2009 to launch a unique public lecture and policy dialogue series on law and development which re-energised the advocacy. He invested his time, resources and considerable wattage in advancing it. The adoption of a FoI Act in 2011 owed a lot to his quiet investment of time, intellect and money. At the news of BF’s death, one writer lamented: “Nigeria has lost one of its genuine saints.”
“When the Department of State Security (DSS) branded the UAD, which he led, an enemy of the State for seeking to exercise the right to peaceful protest in 2003, Aturu responded with a public statement which, in hindsight, could well have been his epitaph: ‘We are not slaves. We are resolved to resist the undemocratic actions and practices of this regime no matter the degree of blackmail.’ He died doing just that,” Odinkalu said in his tribute.
Immediate past chairman of NBA Ikeja branch, Mr Monday Ubani, said Aturu’s death was the most traumatic and shocking news he ever heard. He recalled they were together in Abuja the week before he died, where he addressed newsmen over the de-registration of the Fresh Party, and never showed any signs of illness.
“He was a genuine Nigerian who never fought because of political office. He was only out to protect the interest of the downtrodden. I can’t understand what kind of death that is,” Ubani said.
A former NBA Ikorodu branch chairman, Mr. Nurudeen Ogbara said those who would will Aturu were many, especially the poor.
“We should all find lessons in the life lived by our comrade. Can we truly say we have lived the true life? Can we say we have fought the cause of the poor and the oppressed? I said we should celebrate his life, but I must confess that I will miss him dearly as a true friend.
“Bamidele Aturu, you have died as a prince and the heavens themselves announce your passage. Most importantly, you found peace with your God and we are assured that you are resting in the bosom of Him you served with your skills, talents and life,” Ogbara said.
Former NBA Ikeja branch chairman Mr. Dave Ajetumobi said Aturu left a great legacy behind.
“Aturu was committed to the principles that Ikeja bar stands for: social justice. He was a sincere activist. He was into activism because of his love for the people and country, not for the fame and monetary reward that most so-called activists we see around these days are into. In private life, he remained what he claimed to be in public unlike others that are double faced. He was not moved by money, he was moved by compassion and love for God, counry and humanity. He treated people the way he wanted himself to be treated.
“As chairman of Ikeja Bar, my Exco requested his assistance to handle on our behalf, a case of a Court of Appeal jurist who was unfairly dismissed. It was pending at the Court of Appeal, Abuja. We offered to pay his air fare and lodging, but he rejected the offer. He handled the case pro bono. He also assisted the jurist with his fare.
“Before the jurist came to us, he had approached some other activists who were very reluctant to help. That is Aturu for you!
“Ikeja bar also saddled him with the responsiblity of organising Gani Fawehinmi Annual lectures for two years, he did it successfully with humility. He took up many public interest litigations in courts, such as the subsidy case which led to a declaration against deregulation.
“Some activist will only stop at arguing their cases incoherently in the media for fear of losing their government briefs, Aturu was fearless.
“He was involved in the evolution of the National Industrial Court to what it is today. We will miss his further contribution to the development of that court.
‘’He has written many books on different aspect of law. His intellectual prodigy will be sorely missed in the legal profession.
“BF (as friends call him) would sneak into NBA Ikeja meetings, sit quietly and follow proceedings without razzmattaz. Some of our colleagues in human right circles are too big to identify with NBA, they only come around when they have problems or they apply for SAN! He was at the inauguration of Ikeja Bar new Exco on June 23, 2014.
“BF was with us (NBA, Ikeja) and other labour, civil society activists during the last fuel subsidy protests on the streets of Lagos while many of his colleagues were struggling at media houses to be interviewed live.
“He was a rare bred activist guided and motivated by the fear of God having a sprinkling of Fawehinmistic doggedness and commitment! He loved not his life unto death,” Ajetumobi stated
