The legal profession has lost an eminent legal practitioner, Prof. Ajagbe Toriola Oyewo, who passed on to greater glory on 1st February 2022. He was 91. He was conferred with the rank of SAN in December 2021, when he was called to the inner bar and sworn in.
On Thursday 26th May 2022, a Burial & Thanksgiving Service was held at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Erunmu, via Olodo/Lalupon Road. It was a well-attended service. And on Saturday, 28th May, at Jogor Centre, Ibadan, the Final Burial Reception of Prof. Oyewo took place.
He is sorely missed by his wife, family and academia. The Institute of African Studies at the University of Ibadan revealed why they will miss him. The Director, Senayon Olaoluwa, in a one-page letter, addressed to the family wrote: “Professor Oyewo was generous with his academic and scholarly attainments by virtue of his part-time services to the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ibadan as a Lecturer in the African Law Unit. He was a renowned scholar and a great teacher, highly respected by both the academic and non-academic staff in the Institute and the University as a whole.
As a great mentor, he returned to the University time and again to give more and mentored upcoming researchers. He believed in the University of Ibadan project and worked assiduously towards maintaining the culture and tradition of leadership. He demonstrated exemplary leadership in various capacities.
The Body of SAN also wrote a one-page letter to the family.
“On behalf of all the Senior Advocates of Nigeria who were sworn in and admitted to the Inner Bar on the 8th of December, 2021, we hereby convey our condolences to your family on the sudden loss of our member, Prof. Ajagbe Toriola Oyewo, SAN who joined the Saints Triumphant on the 1st of February 2022.
The shortlisting and eventual elevation of Prof. Oyewo into the Inner Bar was a momentous one as he created history as the oldest person ever to be conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
On the 8th of December, 2021. Prof. Oyewo was his articulate best and he delivered the acceptance speech on behalf of the entire 2021 class to wild applause.
It, therefore, came to us as a rude shock when we learnt of his demise barely 2 months after that epochal event.
May the soul of Professor Ajagbe Toriola Oyewo rest in perfect peace.
Yours sincerely
Prof. Oluyinka Omorogbe, SAN
Senator Anthony Adeniyi, SAN
Oyo State Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo (SAN) also wrote a one-page condolence message. “The Management and the entire staff of the Ministry of Justice Commiserate with the Oyewo family on the demise of the Patriarch of the family, learned silk-Prof. Toriola Ajagbe Oyewo, SAN.
He made an indelible impact on the legal profession (academic and practice), in his writings and publications, and advocacy in our various law courts. Indeed, he will be sorely missed.
Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, SAN
Honourable Attorney-General
And Commissioner for Justice
• The Officiating Ministers at the Burial & Thanksgiving Service held in Erunmu, included: Pastor Prof. Adekunle Alalade – Pioneer/former Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, Pastor C. Ayodele Ajani – Executive Secretary, Oyo Conference, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Ibadan, Pastor Lawrence Adegbite – District Pastor, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Erunmu, Pastor Olatunde Awoniyi – District Pastor, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Irefin, Ibadan, Pastor Olasunmade Alalade – Seventh-Day Adventist Church 1, Erunmu, Rev. (Dr.) D. T. Hambolu – Salem Baptist Church, Yemetu Aladorin, Ibadan, Elder Noah Funmilayo – First Elder, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Erunmu.
Prof. Toriola Ajagbe Oyewo was born on the 11th of January, 1931 at Erunmu. Egbeda Local Government to Pa. Ajani Oyewo, a farmer from Adeosun Compound, Erunmu and Madam Oketoun Oyewo, (Daughter of Oketade) a petty trader, from Lapata, Peiye village in Egbeda Local Government. His mother, who was the second wife of his father, favoured Toriola among all his children probably because he took the traits of his mother including his fair-skinned colour.
He started his elementary education in Erunmu through sheer luck as the second son, born by his mother in a family, where the father would only send the firstborn son of each wife to school. (The first son of his mother turned down the offer to go to school). Toriola passed his school-leaving examination of standard six and was later sent to PTC, Seventh Day Adventist, Oke Bola in Ibadan.
His mother, on her ailing bed before her death, had predicted that Toriola would be a teacher. The prediction prompted him to go for teacher training where he came first. He did examinations to Government College and Ibadan Grammar School and he passed with distinction. While Government College would take him as a fee-payer. Ibadan Grammar School was ready to give him a scholarship.
Toriola opted for Ibadan Grammar School but because he came from a village under the Ibadan municipality, he was initially denied a scholarship. It took the intervention of late Dr. Agbaje who kicked against the injustice on Toriola before he was considered. Because of his brilliance, Dr. Agbaje decided to sponsor Toriola’s scholarship.
Toriola in school could not afford the luxuries of life, as being done by many other students who came from rich homes. Hardly could he afford pair of sandals, wristwatches and many other good amenities. He blinded himself to those luxuries with determination to become successful in life as his mother had predicted for him. By 1954, he was admitted at the Ibadan District Council, living with his aunty. Mrs. Ogunsola from where he got to know the Esan family who took him over as a son and sponsored his education from then.
Through the influence of late Chief (Mrs. Wuraola Esan, Toriola was fortunate to travel to England to further his studies, and he registered for Secretarial Studies. However his fortune changed where one of his friends and housemate Kola Daisi encouraged him to study law. He thereafter went to the University College London, in 1960, where he obtained an L.L.B. in Law. His beloved wife, Arike Olufunmilayo joined him on September 30, 1960. Toriola was called to the Lincons Inn Bar, London in 1962 and in January 1963. He returned to Nigeria where he was equally called to the Nigerian Bar. He started his Law practice with Chief Adisa Meredith Akinloye of (blessed Memory), Toriola moved to the University of Ife in 1979 to work as an expert in Local Government Law and
He became a fellow in Local Government Law and Administration from the University of Ife. At another breath, as an external candidate, he put in for P.H.D. in Administration in an American University through correspondence. When the University of Ife insisted that he must have another PHD; he opted for M. Phil (Master of Philosophy).
In 1988, he went to the Constituent Assembly where he was Chairman, Committee of Local Government and Legislative Matters. Many Local Governments came into being through his recommendation at that time. His penchant and love for education made him pursue an M.A. in African Law at the University of Ife and a PHD in the same field at the University of Ibadan where he also taught Afican Law.
He worked successfully as a lecturer in six Universities namely: (1) The University of Ibadan, Ibadan (2) University of Ife, Ile-Ife (3) Lead City University, Ibadan (4) Crescent University, Abeokuta (5) Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin (6) Adeleke University, Ede.
He bagged Chieftaincy, titles of Gbobaniyi of Ede in Osun State and Bamofin of Ore in Egbeda Local Government of Oyo State.
Toriola was a socialite and a jolly good fellow whose love for the music of Chief Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi could not be quantified.
Daddy breathed his last on the 1st of February, 2022 after spending 9 days at the University College Hospital, U.C.H., Ibadan following an accident on his way to the Adeleke University, Ede, where he had his last working experience.
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