Guardian

KAYODE Bankole is a lawyer passionate about his job. Through determination, focus and industry, Bankole has carved a niche for himself in the area of land and property laws where he stands shoulder high among his colleagues.

He opened the floodgate and blazed the trail by challenging the Land Use Decree of the military government and created a precedent, which has adorned law reference materials in Nigeria.

But getting these feats did not come easy.

He lost his father when he was preparing for his Higher School Certificate examination. “My dad was quite influential and he had promised me so many things if I passed my exams. But I could not get the full benefit of passing the exams because of his death. So I have to forge ahead with my mum and my step-mother. My step-mother was so caring. She immediately took over my education because she was quite rich and comfortable”, he said.

Interestingly, he did not set out to study law initially. He first got a degree in another field and by twist of fate, chain of events combined to inspire his love for law. His words:  “I got admission to the then University of Ife to read Philosophy and Sociology combined. I left that school with a first degree, worked briefly with the Nigerian Airways and when I discovered that I could not accomplish my goal in life which is to be independent, I left the company in 1985. I was given the sum of N20,000 to go and start business in Lagos. I combined with a friend of mine and we started taking contract from the Lagos State Government.”

He benefited from the generosity of late Engineer Funsho Williams who was a director in the Lagos State Ministry of Works then. “He found out that we are young men determined to make a living independent of any employer. He encouraged us and gave us drainage contracts”, he recalled, adding that he read about late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) and his struggles with the military government. He said part of his inspiration to study law was the legal battle which his grandmother had in their village with influential people in the town and she won. “The powers that be then, wanted to oppress my grand mum and she resisted by going to court. She took the head of the community to court and won, both at the High Court and the Court of Appeal. It was strange to many people that ordinary woman could take a whole head of a community to court and won. So all these combined to build the desire in me to be a lawyer so as to lend a helping hand to the seemingly weak and oppressed people in the society and against the oppression of the strong and the mighty”, he said. As a result, he sought for admission at the Ogun State University and was admitted to study law. The rest is today history.

He did his pupilage in chambers of Professor Oluwole Smith (SAN) for one and half years before he opted out to open his own chambers in 1993.

His first court experience was before late Justice Hallowey of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja. He went there and discovered that the counsel on the other side was late Chief Abraham Adesanya. “I was thoroughly intimidated by the stature and name of Senator Abraham Adesanya. But as a lawyer, I was trained to face every kind of opposition. So I made up my mind that the die is cast, that I have to put up a fight of my life. I tried to address the court to give us the leave to file out of time and regularize our positions. By the time I addressed the court, I said I was seeking the permission of the court. Justice Hallowey said: “Young counsel! The language of the court is to seek leave of the court to regularize your position and not permission of the court. You seek permission in the University and at the law school.” He corrected me and encouraged me. Interestingly, the dogged Adesanya opposed my application and I have to argue it out with him. At the end of it all, the judge granted that leave. It was that day I concluded within myself that I was born to practice law. I went in as a small boy but I came out as a giant. I went back to the chambers and told my principal that I have done what Napoleon could not do and explained everything to him and he shook my hand.”

He also recalled how he engaged the military government and did the unimaginable. According to him, the case was between one Chief Adedeji Kareem and Lagos State Government. “It has to do with the land in Ajah that was acquired by the Lagos State government. When I got the brief, I first went to seek the advice of some seniors. I did not meet them in chambers. So I have to go and prepare the brief myself and filed it. I was challenging the revocation order of Lagos state over Ajah land. As I was getting closer to where I was going to file the brief, a senior lawyer tried to discourage me. He said young man, can’t you see in your prayers that you are trying to challenge the state government’s power to acquire lands, why not drop it. They acquired my father’s land to build schools during the time of Jakande. There is nothing I could do about it.

“I listened to him, but I still went ahead to file that piece of action. After we served them with the processes, they did not come to court. So I argued my application and it was granted that Lagos State Government should not step into the land or do anything detrimental to the peace of those who are on the land. As we were about going into the substantial suit, the then Baale of Ajah called me to inform me that there were massive deployment of military men in Ajah and that they don’t know their mission.

“On getting there, I discovered that Lagos State government through the military had already started demolishing structures in spite of the court injunction. I calmed my clients and went back to the court for contempt proceedings against the Solicitor General of Lagos State, the Commissioner for Physical Planning, area surveyor and area town planner. I wanted them to be jailed for contempt. Then the whole atmosphere became charged. They made overtures to me and I rebuffed them. They even promised to make me a judge but I refused and vowed to pursue the case to logical conclusion because I saw it as an affront on the rule of law. “Eventually, the Attorney General of Lagos State approached me for discussions. She was leading the defence of the alleged contemnors. She came to my office and pleaded that I should drop the charge, that it was a mistake which the ministry of justice was not aware of. That they would make the necessary amend. I had difficulty convincing my clients who insisted that those four gentlemen must go to prison. After some efforts, reason prevailed and I started discussing with them. Eventually I dropped the contempt charge on the ground that the Lagos Government was going to give us the land. They did that; gave me a gazette and I got a consent judgment. On that day, I was carried shoulder high from Igbosere High Court up to Simpson Bridge because nobody believed that you could challenge a military government especially on the issue of Land Use Decree. That was a wonderful case I cannot forget easily”, he declared.

The bulk of the cases in his chambers have to deal with land matters involving hundreds of acres. He is also an authority in labour law.

His favourite colour is white and black while he enjoys rice and dodo a lot. He eats a lot of vegetables and fruits as well.

He is a lover of marine sport and usually go for boat ride as a way of relaxation. “Once in two weeks, I go to a jetty and charter a boat, together with friends, we cruise round the waters and party in the boat”, he stated.

He believes that the current security challenge posed by the Boko Haram insurgents is as a result of failure of leadership, adding that our past leaders had warned well ahead of time that such issues would arise if politicians do not take care of injustice in the land. According to him, the problem of insecurity would be over if President Goodluck Jonathan does the unthinkable and resign.

“President Jonathan can stop this Boko Haram insurgents if he does something that is strange, which is resigning today. If he resigns today, they will drop their arms, pour into the streets and rejoice. If they have the interest of Nigeria at heart, himself and the vice president can go and there will be no need for amnesty again. But he is busy scheming for a second term, having not performed at all. The mindset is let the whole country sink”, he exclaimed.

Born to late Samuel Akinbiyi Bankole and Mrs Bukolola Bankole in Jos, Plateau State, in October 21, 1959, young Kayode who hails from Oyo State started his educational pursuit at First Baptist Church Nursery School, Jos between 1964 and 1966.

He later joined Baptist Day Primary School, Nasarawa Gwong, Jos in 1966 and left in 1972 having obtained his Primary School Leaving Certificate (PSLC).

He priceeded to Ogbomoso High School, Ogbomoso between 1973 and 1975. Hour further went to Osogbo Grammar School, Osogbo between 1976 and 1977 and earned his West African School Certificate Examination (WAEC).

Desirous to make academic distinction, in 1977 he enrolled at the Ilesha Grammar School, for his Higher School Certificate (HSC). In 1979 he sat and passed his Higher School Certificate Examination. This feat, afforded him the opportunity to gain admission into the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1981. He left the university in 1984, having obtained a bachelors degree in Philosophy and Sociology.

He worked briefly and also engaged in business, but he could not be assuaged. Consequently, Kayode applied and got admitted into the Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University). He was there between 1987 and 1991 and bagged a law degree LLB Hons. He was subsequently enrolled at the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos for the mandatory law school training. He was there between 1991 and 1992 when he earned his BL.

He did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Nigerian Airways Kano in 1995 before leaving to set up Boltrade Nigeria Ltd where he worked till 1997. He thereafter joined the chambers of Professor Wole Smith & Co ( Legal Practitioners) in 1992. He left the chambers in 1993 after a robust legal experience in land matters and opened Kayode Bankole & Associates ( Legal Practitioners) since 1993 till date.

He is a member of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA). He has had both personal and corporate clientele. He has been an external Solicitor to MC Royal Finance Company Ltd, Nigerian Football Supporters Club, Guinea Insurance Plc, Confidence Insurance Plc and Globe re-insurance Plc.

He is a member, Baptist Schools Board of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, member, Hospital Management Board of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, member, Pension Board of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Legal Adviser, Nigeria Baptist Convention as well as solicitor to Ajah–Ile Community, Lekki, Lagos State among other myriads of clients in the Lekki community.

Kayode was also a Legal Adviser, Christian Council of Nigeria, member, Governing Council of Bowen University of Nigeria, external Solicitor, Oyo State House of Assembly as well as external Solicitor to Oyo State Government.

He is married with children.