My lot is to review this book that is written by and in the very words of a legal icon and a colossal figure both in intellect and physique. I must admit that l found it hard to comprehend why the choice fell on me:- someone who has had only ‘fleeting’ – albeit profoundly enriching – encounters with the Prince. I can recall that he personally directed his assistants to scout out for me to contribute a chapter in a journal being published by the Federal Ministry of Justice which he headed. It was anchored by Awa Kalu, SAN, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN and Prof Momodu Kassim Momodu(MKM), two call mates of mine at the Nigerian Law School, in 1979 who had served as Special Assistants to him. He and late Abdullahi lbrahim, SAN had another cause to honour me to serve as the ‘rapporteur’ on the Committee on the Judiciary during the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) of 2005 which they co-chaired. I had another opportunity to be honoured when we, all members of this latter Committee, trooped to Abeokuta in March 2005 to contribute to and be on hand to witness the founding of the CRESCENT UNIVERSITY. On another note, l cannot tell whether his family were also carrying out another instruction of his when they, no doubt encouraged by MKM, the Dean, Faculty of Law and HRH Najib Hussain Adamu, the Emir of Kazaure and the Pro-chancellor, invited me to deliver the 2022 Convocation Lecture of the university. Neither am l so sure if, while serving as President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Prince had taken any notice of an academic playing Bar politics on the fringes.
Be that as it may, the job at hand isn’t about me or my association with the author. I have been tasked to review the autobiography of ABDUL-JABBAR BOLASODUN AJIBOLA which we are gathered to launch. To that l now turn.
AN AUTOGRAPHY BY A STORYTELLER
The Prince has chosen to tell his own story in the form of an autobiography. In the book he tells the story of his entire life written by himself and told in the first person. Quite apart from being one with great facility with the English language, he tells us that Lord Hailsham’s memoir, a book donated to him by the children in March 1990 as a birthday gift, gave him the impetus to embark on the project. This is not a common endeavour by men who had had remarkable accomplishments in their personal, public lives and professional careers. In my estimation, it is a remarkable and courageous undertaking. He tells his own story in his own words. He has chosen not to offer an impersonal biography full of accounts and narratives that are rendered or mediated by a shadow author or editor. Readers will hear it from the horse’s mouth. I trust that when you eventually read these accounts you will agree with me that we are all the better for it.
I intend therefore to pick and choose a few snippets and nuggets of the author’s life’s journey from his early years as skillfully told from a few chapters. I would conclude with a few observations about the book but essentially leave readers to delve into “Tribulations & Trophies” and savour the drama, the twists and turns as recorded in their minute details, the chronicle of encounters with multitudes of personalities, officials and professional colleagues with whom he has crossed paths.
IN THE BEGINNING
We begin with the story of his early years in dusty surroundings of Totoro also called the Alebiosu compound in Abeokuta. He tells about how his father, a policeman in the service of colonial administration who had worked in different places, had finally ascended to the throne as Olowu of Owu. He was a devoted Muslim whose practice of reciting the whole of Qur’an in days or weeks, the Prince had come to adopt including sacrificing rams at every conclusion.
After detailing his royal origins and the nomadic movements of his ancestors before they settled down, he regales in taking us through childhood experiences. He recalls the story of the circumstances of his birth as narrated to him by his mother, Adikatu Asakun on a visit to bid her farewell as he was about to embark on further studies and sought for blessings. Desirous of giving birth a boy, and encouraged by her father, Pa Odebunmi, she persuaded his father to travel with her from Lagos to lbara to meet him. Being a respected medicine man he strongly recommended the consumption of some herbal concoction to ensure that outcome. Departing the scene, his father mildly rebuked her for hiding what her mission was all about. He assured her that he preferred to devote intense prayer to Almighty Allah for such a male child who will excel in life. The prayers were answered and the Prince was the blessing flowing from that. She concluded her narration that, as he was about to depart for studies, he will ultimately be the bounteous rewards of such prayer.
SOME CHILDHOOD TALES
Turning to more mundane matters, he tells of a retinue of table manners as painfully taught to him by his elder brother: never to swallow eba morsel with careless abandon nor talk or drink while eating; the worst taboo was eating a piece of meat NOT in your front. He tells of his hilarious and often disastrous escapades with two childhood friends: the rascally Musiliu Garuba (MG) and the pliant Mosudi Tayo (MT). Notable of which was the account of MT dropping ice cubes in the palms of a prospective but disapproving father-in-law who feared that they had cast a juju spell on him, desperately sought for cure only to be assured that it was nothing harmful after all.
Not to be missed is his account of series of events during his days at Baptist Day School. He tells of how, on being presented for admission, he was first turned away: his Muslim name being the sole pretext. When asked his name it was given as Abdul-Jabbar Adewunmi which met with a flat rejection by the school authorities. Back home, he tells how he was advised to avail himself of another of his names: BOLASODUN. Upon returning the following morning, he was warmly received and admitted.
Due to the fertility of his memory and imagination, he recounts in great detail the names of fellow pupils, even teachers of Arithmetic, Writing & Reading, the head teachers and their demeanor etc. He also hasn’t even forgotten to tell of indulging in a Pen Pal correspondence with a young girl in England at that young age which earned him a rebuke from his mother who was apprehensive of what business he had with such matters.
LIFE AT BBHS
He narrates that being admitted into Baptist Boys High School (BBHS) was a life ambition that was initially dashed resulting in a dull end of year festivities. Beside being closer to home, he had no desire to enroll at Abeokuta Grammar School which was considered inferior and certainly below his expectations given his outstanding performance. When given another opportunity to appear for the interview into BBHS, he perfected some tricks to sway matters. He tells how he practiced and perfected ways on how to ‘decrease his height’ by intermittently taking deep breath, bending his knees which all didn’t cut ice with the principal who told him to relax and behave normally. He was eventually accepted and excelled in his studies. Here too he recalls names and other minute details about his teachers, classmates notably President Obasanjo, his juniors such as MKO Abiola and many others in vivid details chronicling their performances at the school, life beyond and in future careers and callings.
SUMMING THINGS UP
As l indicated in my opening remarks, it is not my intention to render a detailed summary of the story told by the Prince in this book. Aside the fact that such an attempt on my part may, in the proverbial sense, spoil the broth, his many and varied accounts and anecdotes are laced with details and native flavour only the author could convey with poignancy. I should like to limit my role as a reviewer to give snippets of the various accounts told and dig out some nuggets in the hope that l am able to whet your appetite and encourage the reader to delve into the trove to discover for themselves the treasure littered all over it.
However in addition to some of the nuggets l outlined above, the reader should expect to savour some intimate stories about the Prince’s marital and family life, a narration of his homecoming back to Nigerian soil and even his encounters in the streets of Manhattan, US where a Good Samaritan elevated his status to get a hotel room by passing him off as “His Excellency, President Jombolah of Kuntali”. You should find his accounts of how he built his initial legal practice in the bread and butter sector, did his pupilage, built clientele and some hilarious court adventures. Surely you could expect to get accounts of his life and times as the NBA President and the intrigues he had faced at his first electoral attempt which mercifully, by his reckoning, did not materialize, and the battles he fought with the military under Buhari and Idiagbon regime. He has accorded a prime of place in the narration of events and controversies during his days as Hon Attorney General of the Federation and different kinds of battles with, for instance, the gadfly Gani Fawehinmi. This is followed by a rendering of his time as a Judge at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, a member on the international Law Commission and as a distinguished diplomat in the capacity as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK. He capped everything at the pinnacle of his life with a narration of various acts of generosity, charity and service to God particularly in the founding of the Crescent University in 2005.
Kindly permit me then to skip the details contained in the foregoing chapters and make a few observations about my impression of certain aspects of the book generally.
ABOUT THE TITLE
I find the title of the book rather strange in its terse rendering: “TRIBULATIONS & TROPHIES”. By my reckoning, the stories told, the career path followed and life lived by the Prince all point only to success, accomplishments and trophies acquired. The word Tribulation would convey the impression of being subjected, at some point in his life, to a state of great trouble or suffering. Even from a a careful reading of the chapter titled “Tribulation on his path to Law Degree”, l have not come away with the impression of the author coming under ‘suffering’ in contrast to the vast successes recorded and trophies he has earned. It is of course understandable that he went through some tough times at that period. For instance, what one would consider as the ‘drudgery’ and stress of working at Sainsbury, shuttling between studies for the Bar exams, the Law degree and helping out with babysitting of the their first child would not count as “tribulations”. Which is why l characterize the word as a misnomer. But l must concede it is for the author to make that call. However, surveying his entire life as recounted in the book will make these challenges and hustle and bustle of life pale in comparison with the stellar accomplishments of the Prince.
A RETENTIVE MEMORY
One thing that has struck me from reading the book is the demonstration of so retentive a memory by the Prince. It is amazing how the entire book – from stories of early childhood, schools attended, his legal practice etc – is so full of minute details that the author is able to role out at the tip of his finger. For instance, he recalls with ease and precision names of childhood friends with whom he had played football in the dusty allays of Taiwo Olowo street on Lagos island, mixing with kids from the Brazilian and Sierra Leonian quarters etc. He narrates the names and descriptive character of classmates, teachers, workplace mates and their unforgettable antics. He hasn’t forgotten those who have left indelible mark on his character and remembers all sorts of clients he has held briefs for – those who treated him with generosity and others meanly. He tells with amazing details about juniors and principals he had worked with – never forgetting to highlight the caring nature of many and the unwholesome attitude of others. He particularly recalls how some juniors were so insensitive to choose to leave his chambers en masse at a time of great grief when he lost his daughter.
What is even more amazing is that he concluded writing the book evidently well advanced in age and yet able to fill it with such incredible details.
THE GREAT STORYTELLER
At the risk of stating it ad nauseam, this autobiography can rank as a great non-fiction story told. It would grip and retain your interest to continue leafing from page to page and chapter to another eager to know what comes next in the narrative accounts of a great lawyer, mentor and philanthropist. The author has such an outstanding command of the English language with which he threads is stories which are laced with native intelligence and humour.
A MAN OF INTEGRITY
By my assessment of the accounts he narrates, the Prince’s period in active legal practice was relatively brief. But he led a professional life with integrity, decorum and high probity. I can testify to this from my association with him while serving on the Judiciary Committee during the NPRC 2005 convened by president Obasanjo, his schoolmate at BBHS, friend and mentor who had elevated him as a diplomat. Let it be recalled that some associates and advisors of the President were reportedly busy “massively amending the constitution” outside the purview and contrary to the mandate of the Conference. When they produced what was later dubbed a “mysterious draft constitution”, they sought to dump it on the Conference using the platform of the Judiciary Committee which Prince Ajibola co-chaired with late Abdullahi Ibrahim. However when the President’s handlers sneaked it on the Committee as a memo on March 29, 2005, Prince Ajibola politely rebuffed the attempt by stating publicly to the press and going on the record that “ the memo was received but rejected as having been submitted after the deadline”. That bold and courageous act of the Committee led by the Prince in no small way saved the integrity of the work of the entire Conference.
THE GESTURE OF FOUNDING THE CRESCENT
On a happy note, it may be recalled that ABDUL-JABBAR nearly missed out on acquiring his western education at a time when the few institutions around were owned and run by missionaries. Unlike many in his condition, he had the fortune to be accepted by posing as BOLASODUN and was lucky he did NOT have to change his religion to access what was available. Many like him were not so lucky. It should not surprise anybody that at the zenith of his life and after accumulating many ‘trophies’, he decided to give back to his community by establishing the Crescent University whose gates are wide open to all and sundry. Although impelled by his deeply lslamic religious upbringing to value and spread education, Prince Ajibola has placed NO hinderance whatsoever to the path of anyone seeking knowledge to obtain it at the fountain of the CRESCENT. On a more positive note, his generosity in the provision of financial assistance is open to all.
May Allah reward him with Jannatul Firdaus.
A review of An autobiographical story of Prince Abdul-Jabbar Bolasodun Abdul-Salami Adewunmi Ajibola, by Prof. Auwalu Hamisu Yadudu, presented during the Public Launching of the Book at Lagos Oriental Hotel, Lagos, held on 10 April 2025.
