IT was celebration galore recently, as three separate occasions were hosted in honour of one of the newly installed Senior Advocates of Nigerian (SAN), Barrister Abiodun Adediran Olatunji. A partner at Abdullahi Ibrahim & Co., he rose from a junior Lawyer, after gaining employment in 1994 to becoming a partner at the firm.
At the first dinner held in his honour in Abuja by the firm, many of his colleagues gave glowing tributes to his character of purpose and doggedness.
At the Lagos dinner held at the Colonades event centre in Ikoyi, hosted by IK Osakioduwa and attended by associates, political and business clients, family and friends, it was evident that the celebrant was a man of many parts. Notably in attendance were the former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, representatives of the governors of Ogun and Lagos states, other SANs, among others.
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In Ibadan, his home city where he was born, he was hosted, last Friday, by the Golf Club, Ibadan, where he is a member.
Abiodun Olatunji was born on the 29th December, 1967 in Ibadan, Oyo State to the family of Engineer Olanrewaju Muritala and Mrs Wuraola Olatunji. He attended Victory Nursery and Primary School Ibadan and later proceeded to Ibadan Grammar School where be obtained his WAEC and A Level certificates.
In 1989, young Abiodun Olatunji gained admission into the University of Ibadan, Faculty of Law, where he obtained his Legum Baccalaureus (generally referred to as Bachelor of Laws) or LLB with honours. He proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos where he successfully completed the one year Professional training required to be admitted into the Nigerian Bar.
On the 15th of December, 1993. Mr. Abiodun Olatunji SAN was admitted into the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The learned Silk started his professional career at the Legal Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria in 1993 where he served the mandatory one year National Youth Service and which he completed in 1994.
The young Olatunji distinguished and so endeared himself to his Senior Colleagues in the Central Bank of Nigeria, that at the end of his Service Year he was strongly recommended by some of them for employment to the firm of Abdullahi Ibrahim and Co. Lagos office.
Abiodun Olatunji was offered employment in the firm of Abdullahi Ibrahim & Co. in November, 1994 and within a year of his joining the firm, he had established himself as possessing the promise of a first class Legal Practitioner.
Not satisfied with the Bachelor of Laws degree, Mr. Olatunji sought further knowledge by proceeding to the University of Lagos and his pursuit was rewarded with the degree of Legum Magister ( Masters of Law [LLM] ) from the University of Lagos, Akoka- Yaba in the year 2010 .
In the course of his career, Mr. Olatunji revealed that he learnt a great deal from his senior colleagues in chambers, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim (SAN) (CON), Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), who was his immediate boss in the Lagos Office and with whom he had worked closely since 1994. He also worked with Mrs.Olabisi Soyebo (SAN), Mr. Oladipo Tolani (FCIArb) and Mr. Rotimi Oguneso (SAN).
To his close associates, beneath his calm and unassuming mien lies a dogged, resolute and incisive mind as most opposing counsel belatedly came to realise; usually at great cost to their cases.
He is also a soccer lover and very loyal to his favourite football club, Arsenal FC. Abiodun Olatunji is married to Olawunmi Ajoke Olatunji and are they blessed with children.
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