One of Nigeria’s brightest law teachers, a legal luminary, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and one time head of Nigerian Law School, Mr Kole Ade Abayomi, has died at a London hospital, aged 80.
A son of one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists, Sir Kofo Abayomi, the former law teacher died Thursday morning.
He was until his death, the proprietor and principal partner of his law firm, Kole Abayomi Chambers in Lagos his hometown.
Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1966 and made a Senior Advocate in 2005 with Conferment Serial Number 219, late Chief Kole Abayomi was born in Lagos on 20th August, 1940 to the illustrious family of Sir Kofo and Lady Oyinkan Abayomi.
The Babasale of Lagos had his early education in the city of his birth before proceeding to the United Kingdom to read Law and obtained LL.B (Hons), LLM and Ph.D degrees.
His eight decades on earth was packed full of activities and landmark achievements after his initial education at C.M.S Grammar School and King’s College, both in Lagos.
He read Law at the University of Durham and graduated with LL.B Hons. Thereafter, in 1965 he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School for the vocational practical training course in October and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1966.
He was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship in October 1966 for Post graduate studies in Law at the Clare College Cambridge.
He obtained at Clare College Cambridge University, the postgraduate degree of LL.B (now LLM) in 1967 and the Ph.D degree from Cambridge in 1970. He was also a scholar at Clare College Cambridge University and Commonwealth Scholar Cambridge University .
Dr. Abayomi returned to Nigeria in 1970 to start a lecturing career at the Council of Legal Education, Nigerian Law School.
He was first engaged as lecturer grade II and later became Secretary to the Council of Legal Education and Director of Administration from 1999-2001. In 2001, he was appointed Deputy Director-General and Head of Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School. Thereafter in November 2004, he became the Director-General of the School.
Dr. Abayomi was a member of the Nigeria Constitution Drafting Committee from 1975-1976, Vice Chairman Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Board 1976-1979; Vice Chairman Lagos State Ibile Property Corporation 1976-1979 and Chairman Lagos State Ibile Holdings 1991-1992.
He was a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law; Co-founder/President, Nigeria Society for Legal Research and Development; Member National Committee on Law and Administration in Nigeria (1981)
He was a member of Metropolitan Club, Ikoyi Club, Lagos Dinning Club, and Lagos Luncheon Club all in Lagos. Dr. Abayomi was conferred with a Chieftaincy title by His Royal Highness Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II the Oba of Lagos in 1979 as the Otun Baba Isale of Lagos. His Royal Highness Oba Rilwan Akiolu made him the Baba Isale of Lagos in 2005.
Due to his immense contribution to the noble profession and excellence in the academia, Dr. Abayomi was conferred with the rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2005. Not long after, he was decorated with the National Honours as an Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by
His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in December 2005.
He retired from the Public Service as the Director-General of the Nigeria Law School in November 2005.
Being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and because of his love for the Noble Legal Profession, Dr. Abayomi decided to go into private legal practice.
His legal publications include: Wills-Laws and Practice, Mbeyi, Lagos 2004; Concepts and Characteristics of Wills in Law of Wills in Nigeria 2001: Contribution in FRA Williams Through The cases, 2001; Students Handbook on Legal Drafting and Conveyancing for Students at the Law School, (Chief Contributor); 2001
He was married and had six Children. His hobbies were swimming, traveling and reading.
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