Legal Practitioner

Mr. Kehinde Sofola, S.A.N. was an incredible mentor.  He led by example demonstrating that by diligence integrity perseverance and discipline one could get immense gratification and fulfillment from practice as a Barrister, in spite of the difficult terrain and challenges involved.  “CHIEF” was astute, his mind was quick, he had a great sense of drama that made the office atmosphere stimulating and unpredictable.  Heading to work each day was anticipation and fun.

As a boss, I owe a lot to Chief.  My work ethic and the fact that I have remained in active legal practice is due to the training and encouragement I received from him.

He was like a father to me; he had great concerns and cared for me.

I will always remember Chief with love and gratitude.

We write to express our heartfelt condolences on the demise of your beloved father Chief Kehinde Sofola (SAN).  Chief was indeed the quintessential legal colossus of our time and will always have a place in the legal History of this nation.

Thank you Chief for being my Mentor, my Teacher and a great example to follow.

Thank you for that spark of you that resonates in my work and life.

You will be greatly missed.

HEROIC LEADERSHIP: REMEMBERING THE GOOD/ LAUDABLE PRACTICES OF A LEGAL LUMINARY THAT CHANGED THE LIVES OF MANY

Recently humanity has developed the mentality that Heroes and Leaders have to be multi billionaires, running Countries, Banks or Companies, whether or not they posses and live by some human qualities and principles. However, Leadership is not a job but a way of living that is available to anyone. 

My affiliation with Mr. Kehinde Sofola S.A.N. began when I attended his Chambers for my Law Office attachment in 1986. Thereafter I went back for my Youth Service and stayed on for several years before leaving to form a Partnership. The drilling young Lawyers received at his hands was far more intensive than that which many of our Colleagues received and served as the springboard for many of us. 

Mr. Sofola was very passionate about the Bar and the need to feed it with the best minds, intellectually and morally.  He therefore took his responsibility to the Law School and its students and generally all young lawyers very seriously.  He was very good at coaxing or bullying us into taking up senior colleagues in cases the Chambers was handling so that writing and speaking for public consumption, usually intimidating, became very natural to most of us.

Mr. Kehinde Sofola S. A. N. was full of proverbs, two of his favorites being

“You learn to speak by Speaking” and 

“Hard work never kills. It is laziness that kills”

He was an austere man who not only disciplined others but also disciplined himself. He was very courageous and always spoke his mind even to the point of taking up very unpopular issues. But Mr. Kehinde Sofola S. A. N was also full of kindness.

He greatly impacted on those he taught and now as we see them established in their different fields of endeavour, we can admire his example in them.

To measure your life only by conventional result is a trap. To take a measure of ones life that stands up, is for someone to say this is who I am, this is what I stand for, I live this way and I feel very happy about my life.

Mr. Kehinde Sofola S. A. N, thank you for your example and for all you did to enhance my knowledge.

I had watched with admiration ‘Chief’s’ sense of independence, impartiality and justice since my close contact with him during my Law attachment days at Ewenla Chambers.  His exemplary lifestyle was indeed mentoring and worthy of emulation.

TRIBUTE TO MY COLLEAGUE AND MENTOR, KEHINDE SOFOLA, ESQ; S.A.N., C.O.N.

I walked into the Mr. Kehinde Sofola, S.A.N.’s office as a young law graduate at the law school sometimes in November 1988, seeking to do my law office attachment. I had filled the visitors form with my initials, home address and private as purpose of visit. Having waited for sometime, a short man came to the reception “next person”, I was just looking “you want to see me I don’t know but I would like to see Kehinde Sofola SAN “come in then”. “What do you want”? I informed him about the purpose of my visit. He said there was no space but I replied him that he had no choice after keeping me waiting for sometime. He looked at me then nodded. He then wrote on the Visitor’s form “Law Attachment Approved”.

That is how my romance, career and family relationships with Ikenne, Sofola’s, Muslim clerics and the legal society at the highest level began. I got to know that because of the way I got my law office attachment without any formality; there were difficulties in locating me. First lesson, simplicity, appreciation of straightforwardness and boldness.

Thereafter, it became logical that I do my N.Y.S.C. at the office. I was posted to Ogun State after orientation promptly came back to “our office”. There we worked, worked and worked even on C.D. days which was Friday. We all had to come to the office on Saturdays and if it were environment Saturday, you had to be there before it commences!

Kehinde Sofola, S.A.N, C.O.N, was a slave driver, you had no choice but do your best and excel. He would thrust a Court of Appeal, Supreme Court or contentious High Court matter on you, the morning of the matter. “You read the file, you discuss with me, you go to Court, you open your mouth, you speak loudly and slowly and insist on your point”. We had to be in the office at 7:00am or shortly thereafter and had to come to the office before going to Court. The earlier you come, you had the privilege to partake in his breakfast, pack the practice books and his brief case.

I got tired of being harassed by him because I never got to the office on time, “when did you get to the office”? I knew that a few minutes to 8:00am was still shortly after 7:00am. So soon thereafter I got my independent by going to Court without instructions from him after all “you are a Lawyer and I am a Lawyer”.!

The lessons I learnt from him were as follows:

- He was a disciplinarian, strict, yet kind-hearted and generous.

- I learnt courage and boldness! I once told him that I cannot be intimidated by anyone since I was trained by the “Rock of Gibraltar”!

- He was soft at heart notwithstanding his forth rightness and ever willing and ready to assist.

- Money is not everything and a lawyer should always be dressed in regulation dresses.

- Knew all the major Islamic clerics who were always at one function or the other of the Sofola family.

- Gave me fame by thrusting me into judicial and legal limelight from Shakirat Ronke Odogun to Miss S. R. Odogun, of Counsel, of Sofola’s Chambers, up till date several years, after leaving.

- Learnt trust. Trusted me, and my duties included stocking the Petrol Station stop at Ikenne without any queries on how money was spent, apart from making tea!

May Almighty Allah forgive him his sins and grant him al-jannat firadus Insha Allah.

TRIBUTE TO A GREAT MAN, A WONDERFUL BOSS!

We called him KS1 in the office and “Chief” behind his back. He always reminded us that he was just a plain Mr.

Kehinde Sofola was a tasking Boss. He demanded perfection in and out of work Woe betide you if you had not done a full and proper research into the work he had apportioned you. He taught us diligence, he made us work hard, most important of all, he made us believe in the law and in ourselves.

Kehinde Sofola “KS1” was our mentor, and our teacher. He was the most generous and simplest of men you could ever hope to meet.  He was humble, he was straight forward, black was black & white was white.  There were no grey area with Chief without exaggeration the legal profession has lost its greatest asset.

Kehinde Sofola, SAN, CON, we miss you, more than we ever thought we would. 

Rest in perfect peace