Education
- L.E.A. (St. Michael-Anglican) Primary School, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Sabon Gari, Kaduna, Kaduna
- L.E.A. (Methodist) Primary School, Constitution Road, Kaduna, Kaduna State (FSLC,1972-1975);
- Teachers' College, Song, Adamawa State (Teachers' Grade II, 1975-1980);
- Borno College of Basic Studies (Now Borno College of Education, Science and Technology-BOCEST,
- University of Maiduguri - (Best Graduating Student -Common Law Department) (LL.B Hons.,1982-1985); State (1969-1972);
- Nigerian Law School, Lagos (NLS) (1985-1986, B.L); Bama), Borno State (I.J.M.B,1980-1982);
- Keble College, Oxford University, UK, (DipICArb, 2006);
- Institute for Public-Private Partnership, Arlington, USA, 2009, and
- London School of Economics and Political Science, UK, 2010.
Bar Associations / Law Societies
- Nigerian Bar Association;
- Bar of England and Wales;
- International Bar Association (IBA)
- American Bar Association (Associate Member);
- Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA);
- Pan African Lawyers’ Union (PALU), and
- African Bar Association (AfBA).
Selected Experience
Commercial
- Liquidator of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN);
- External Solicitor to several Merchant, Commercial, Development and industrial Banks, Multinational Companies, Indigenous Companies, Organizations, Firms and Individuals in Nigeria, (1989 to date);
- Former Legal Consultant to Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Secretariat of the National Council on Privatization (NCP), and
- Partner, Legal Advisory Partnership (LAP), Consortium (comprising foreign and indigenous lawyers) charged with responsibility of providing Legal Services to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) Abuja, from April, 2004 to April, 2007.
Dispute Resolution
- Acted at various instances as the lead counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and major political parties in Nigeria;
- Acted as Lead counsel in a debt recovery case worth over £10,500,000,000.00;
- Acted as Lead Counsel in numerous Presidential and Gubernatorial Election Petitions, and
- Appointed as an Arbitrator and Counsel in Various Arbitral Matters.
Membership of Professional Bodies /Associations
- Chairman, Advisory Board of the Association of Environmental Lawyers of Nigeria;
- Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Janada International Center for Arbitration and Mediation (JICAM);
- Pioneer Chairman, Association of CEDR Accredited Mediators of Nigeria (ACAMON);
- Pioneer Board Member of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA);
- Former Council Member, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC);
- Former Chairman, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) Abuja Chapter;
- Former Member, Governing Board of the Abuja Multi-Door Courthouse (ADR Centre);
- Former Member, Governing Council of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC);
- Fellow, Institute of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb.);
- Fellow, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (FICMC);
- Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS);
- Fellow, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliator (ICMC);
- Fellow, The Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICA);
- Life Member, Body of Benchers;
- Council Member, Governing Council of the African Bar Association (AFBA);
- Member, Lincoln's Inn, United Kingdom;
- Member, National Executive Council (NEC) of the NBA;
- Member, International Bar Association;
- Member, Commonwealth Lawyers Association;
- Member, Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU); Member, South Eastern Circuit of the Bar of England and Wales;
- Member, British Nigeria Law Forum;
- Member, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ABUCCIMA);
- Member, American Association of Arbitrators;
- Member, London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA);
- Member, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, England (CEDR);
- Member, Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (MIAC);
- Member of the Panel of Neutrals, Abuja Multi-Door Courthouse (ADR Centre);
- Member of the Panel of Neutrals, Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse (ADR Centre);
- Member, Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration-Lagos (RCICAL);
- Member, National Committee on the Reform & Harmonization of Arbitration and ADR laws in Nigeria;
- Member and Sponsor, Negotiation and Conict Management Group (NCMG);
- Member of the Nigerian Commission, International Chambers of Commerce (ICC);
- Member, International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA);
- Member, Governing Council of the Dispute Resolution Center of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and
- Associate Member, American Bar Association (ABA).
Membership and Positions (Non-Legal)
- Board Chairman, Janada International Center for Arbitration and Mediation
- Chairman, Vox Populi Foundation for Leadership
- Former Board Member, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC)
- Former Non-Executive Director, Diamond Pension Fund and Custodian Ltd
- Former Board Member, University of Benin Governing Council, and
- Former Member, Presidential Committee on the Security Challenges in the North-Eastern Zone of Nigeria.
Records, Awards and Honours
- First Silk from the North-western Region of Nigeria;
- First Silk from the University of Maiduguri, Borno State;
- Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR);
- Sardauna of Uba Emirate Council, Borno State;
- First Silk from the Nigerian Law School Class of 1986;
- Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR);
- Shettima of Borno, Borno State;
- Okwuluora of Ukpo, Anambra State;
- Bobajiro of Akure Kingdom, Ondo State;
- Southern Borno Community Merit Award for Meritorious Service to the Development of Borno State, presented in December, 2007;
- Corporate Press Services Incorporated Men of Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business and Contribution to the Growth and Development of Nigeria on Thursday 29th November, 2007;
- Winner, International Bar Association Golf Tournament (Holstrom's Trophy) in Prague, Czech Republic, 2005;
- Conferred with Development in Nigeria Merit Award by the People, State and Resource (PSR) on 30th April, 2005;
- Conferred with Merit Award on Saturday, 26th March, 2005 by the Coalition of Borno South Youth Movement (Affiliated to National Youth Council);
- Nobles' International Award for Honesty, Integrity and Accountability awarded by the West African Nobles' Forum on 9th September, 2004;
- NBA sponsorship Award by the 22nd President of the NBA, Prince Lanke Odogiyan;
- Winner of the NBA Maiden Golf Tournament, Enugu, 2003;
- NBA Sponsorship Award by the 20th President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN 2003;
- Patron, Lawyers in the Media (LIM). Merit Award by the 19th President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), O. C. J. Okocha, SAN, JP – 2002, and
- Patron, Lawyers in the Media (LIM).
I am a Bar Man
- Pioneer Chairman, NBA-Section on Public Interest and Development Law;
- Pioneer Vice-Chairman, NBA-Section on Legal Practice;
- Pioneer Council Member, NBA-Section on Business Law;
- Pioneer NBA Golf Captain;
- Pioneer Chairman, NLS Class of 1986;
- Elected Leader’ NLS Class of 1986;
- Chairman, NBA-Security Agencies Relations Committee;
- Chairman, Mentoring Committee of the Body of Benchers for Young Lawyers;
- Former Chairman, NBA- Abuja [Unity Bar];
- Chairman, NBA National Electoral Committee (1998);
- Chairman, Conference Planning Council, Jos, Plateau State (2004), and
- Member, National Executive Committee of the NBA from 1998-2016, 2018 till date.
Contribution to the Development of Law and Legal Practitioners in Nigeria
- Organiser of a Public Lecture series currently in its 14th edition;
- Host of the Hon. Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, JSC Mentoring and Training Program for Young Lawyers currently in its 7th edition;
- Chairman, Mentoring committee of the Body of Benchers for Young Lawyers;
- Chairman, Dinner Organizing Committee of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (Abuja Chapter);
- Member, Advisory Board of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN);
- Lead Counsel in the NBA team set up to challenge the Tenure extension of the IGP, Mohammed Adamu;
- Contributed to the ongoing reform of the NBA constitution particularly requesting that the representatives of Young Lawyers be included in the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NBA, and
- Hardly missed IBA conferences from 1998 till date.
