Foremost senior lawyer and former Chairman of Body of Benchers, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim SAN is dead. CITY LAWYER can authoritatively confirm that the leading lawyer died this afternoon.

Confirming the incident, a Partner in his law firm told CITY LAWYER thus: “He’s gone. He died this afternoon.” Alhaji Ibrahim is suspected to have died in Abuja from heart complications. A trending online post stated: “Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun the death of Abdullahi Ibrahim SAN has just been announced right now in Abuja from a heart ailment. May Allah swt forgive his indiscretions and grant him jannatul firdaus.” A former Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice in one of the South West states had also posted thus: “May Allah grant Alhaji Abdullahi Ibraheem, SAN aljannah fridaus. Ameen.”

Ibrahim was a Commissioner, International Boundary, National Boundary Commission from 2000 to 2006. He was a member of the Nigerian team that successfully negotiated the Maritime Boundary Treaty between Nigeria and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and also the Unitization Agreement of the Zafiro/Ekanga oil fields. He was Nigeria’s Agent and later Co-Agent in the dispute between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Cameroon at the International Court of Justice, the Hague Netherlands. He also led the Nigerian delegation to the United Nations conference on the establishment of the International Criminal Court.

Below is his biography as posted on his law firm’s website:

Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, CON, FCIArb, FINALS, SAN.

Our founding Partner; he was called to the English Bar in 1963 where he practised in chambers for a while before returning to Nigeria. He was later called to the Nigerian Bar in 1964. He was at different times legal adviser at the then Ministry of Finance, Northern Nigeria and New Nigeria Development Company; a one-time Senior State Counsel and head of prosecutions at the Ministry of Justice, Kano State; Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim has since 1973 remained in active private legal practice.

He was admitted into the Inner Bar as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) (equivalent of a QC in England) in 1982. He is a Notary Public, a Life member of the Body of Benchers and was the Body’s Vice Chairman and Chairman between 1999 and 2001. He was a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC) between 2004 and 2008; Chairman, Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee between 2001 and 2006 and also Chairman, Legal Aid Council from 1990 to 1994.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigeria (FCIArb) and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) (MCIArb), he is also a Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Nigeria (FINALS).

Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim served the nation at various times in several capacities as Commissioner for Education in the old Kwara State, Nigeria, Federal Minister of Education, Science and Technology; Minister of Transport and Aviation and as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

He was a Commissioner, International Boundary, National Boundary Commission from 2000 to 2006. He was a member of the Nigerian team that successfully negotiated the Maritime Boundary Treaty between Nigeria and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and also the Unitization Agreement of the Zafiro/Ekanga oil fields. He was Nigeria’s Agent and later Co-Agent in the dispute between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Cameroon at the International Court of Justice, the Hague Netherlands. Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim also led the Nigerian delegation to the United Nations conference on the establishment of the International Criminal Court.

In acknowledgement of his contribution to the Nation he was conferred with the National honour/Award of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) and later Commander of the Order of Niger (CON). He was also conferred with the honours/Award of Gran Cruz de la Orden de la independencia de Guinea Ecutorial by the Government of Equatorial Guinea for his service to the country and Nigeria.

Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim was Chairman Nigerian Stock Exchange, Kaduna Branch and as a member of the National Stock Exchange he was the first Vice President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 1989. He was Chairman, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs from 1988 to 1994 and also Chairman of New Nigeria Development Company between 1992 and 1998.

Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim has acted as Amicus Curiae in several contentious matters before the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of the Nigerian Law and legal System, he was conferred with an honorary Doctorate Degree in Law (LLD, Honoris Causa) by the University of Kogi, Nigeria in 2008.

Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim is a seasoned Arbitrator; he once sat and he is currently a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague, Netherlands. He has chaired and sat as a member of several Arbitration panels. He is very much interested in International law, Taxation/Revenue Law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Investment Law and core litigation.

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