A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Kemi Pinheiro, on Tuesday declared that the Nigerian legal profession has no doubt lost one of its most distinguished advocates and scholars, Professor Alfred Bandele Kasunmu.
He also described the late legal giant as a “lawyer’s lawyer” and a gentleman whose legacy will endure beyond his death.
The SAN in a tribute to the late legal icon insisted that Professor Kasunmu was a formidable advocate, distinguished scholar, former Attorney-General of Lagos State and Professor of Law at both Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Lagos.
Pinheiro, who argued that Kasunmu’s contributions to the legal profession transcended his impressive titles and positions, described him as a man whose presence commanded respect in the courtroom, academia and the administration of justice.
In the words of the SAN, “At the time of his death, Kasunmu was the living most senior Senior Advocate of Nigeria and, by virtue of that distinction, the statutory Vice-Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN).
“With his death, Pinheiro noted that the distinction and position now fell on Chief Folake Solanke, SAN, another towering figure of the Nigerian Bar.
“Kasunmu’s position among Nigeria’s most senior advocates was a testament to the stature he attained over several decades of distinguished legal practice and scholarship.
“Professor Kasunmu had become, over the decades, a living institution of the Nigerian Bar; a man whose name carried weight in the courtroom, in the academy and in the administration of justice; a man who belonged to that rare generation whose presence alone commanded respect.”
Pinheiro recalled that he knew Kasunmu on both sides of the courtroom; as an adversary and, more importantly, as a friend.
Pinheiro referenced the case of Dioudonne Donnie Ngnoumen v. Texaco Overseas, which he conducted during his first decade in legal practice, adding that Kasunmu represented the opposing side and subjected his witness to a remarkable cross-examination.
According to Pinheiro, “Prof. was on the other side, cross-examining our witness and, what a cross-examination it was! Precise, penetrating and devastating.”
The SAN described Kasunmu as possessing the rare ability to dismantle an opponent’s case methodically while maintaining his wit and composure.
Pinheiro said, “He could inflict forensic damage and somehow make it look almost elegant. There was theatre in his advocacy; there was intellect in every question; there was purpose behind every pause.”
The SAN noted that the late legal giant’s commitment to mentoring generations of Nigerian lawyers and judges was among his most enduring legacies.
However, beyond the courtroom, Pinheiro held that his most enduring memory of Kasunmu was that of a loyal friend who stood by him during one of the most difficult periods of his career.
Pinheiro recalled that 21 years ago, when he needed a lawyer with exceptional courage, intellect and integrity, Kasunmu was the person he turned to.
The SAN said, “Prof. stood by me like the Rock of Gibraltar. He defended me like I was of the same bloodline with him. He stood in the breach for me; and he did so without asking for a fee,” Pinheiro said.
While adding that although he insisted on making a commitment to the late professor, Kasunmu’s gesture, he said, demonstrated his character and his commitment to principle.
“The late SAN was never primarily motivated by money but by principle, the law and justice. When he chose to stand beside you, he stood beside you with the full force of his loyalty,” Pinheiro stated.
Pinheiro described Kasunmu as “fearsome in court, warm in friendship, generous in spirit and unshakeable in loyalty.”
The SAN said the late professor possessed a unique combination of intellectual brilliance and personal warmth.
“His wit could disarm you, his cross-examination could dismantle you, but his friendship could sustain you,” Pinheiro argued.
Pinheiro described this as the paradox of Professor Kasunmu: a man capable of making opponents tremble in court while making his friends feel completely safe outside it.
The SAN equally gave kudos to late Kasunmu for using his formidable intellect not only to challenge cases in court but also to build, encourage and mentor others.
“The man who commanded respect gave friendship freely; and the man who had every reason to stand on ceremony was, at heart, simply a good man.” Pinheiro stated.
While mourning the late professor, Pinheiro maintained that his death represented a significant loss to several spheres of Nigerian public life.
Pinheiro said, “Today, the Bar has lost one of its finest forensic minds; the academy has lost a distinguished teacher; the legal profession has lost one of its great repositories of knowledge and experience and those of us privileged to have known him have lost a good man.”
The SAN further posited that the ultimate measure of a man should not necessarily be the titles he accumulated, but the lives he touched and strengthened.
In his words: “Perhaps, after all, the final measure of a man is not the titles he accumulated, but the lives he strengthened and the people who are left saying, ‘I am better for having known him’, the latter group to which I proudly belong.”
Concluding, Pinheiro described Kasunmu as his friend, mentor, confidant, soldier, and personal and professional uncle.
“Professor Alfred Bandele Kasunmu, SAN; my friend, my mentor, my confidant, my soldier, and my personal and professional ‘uncle’. You may have taken your final bow, but my bow to you is not the mere ‘duffing of hat’, but one of respect, gratitude, admiration and, above all, one of love,” he added.
The SAN prayed for the peaceful repose of the late legal icon, asking that the Almighty receive him with mercy and that the record of his life speak for him.
He added: “As you valiantly advocated for justice on earth, may the good angels of heaven now advocate for your easy and deserved passage into Paradise; may the gates of heaven open gently to receive you; may the Almighty Judge, before whom every advocate must ultimately appear, receive you with mercy; and may the record of your life speak for you.”