By AbdurRaheem Sa’ad Dembo
It was on the 7th January,2024 when the news of the demise of the legal luminary hits the news wave.My first point of seeing the news was a post from Dr Ojibara on the platform of Bayero University Kano Alumni Association, Ilorin Emirate chapter WhatsApp.Another group where I read the news was in Ilorin Emirate NECO WhatsApp Group from Mallam Lukman Ahmed, the Former Special Assistant to Kwara State Governor on Poverty Alleviation in Kwara Central.i then quickly reached out to Barrister Salman Salman who is the son of late legal icon and a Senior Legislative Aide to Senator Saliu Mustapha and he confirmed the news to me.Innalillahi waina ilaihi rajiun.
Meanwhile prominent Nigerians have been mourning the late legal luminary, among them is Kwara state Governor Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq who described his demise as the end of a great era.
Here is part of condolence message as released by the press Secretary to the Governor,Rafiu Ajakaye
“The Governor sends his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late sage who was a one-time Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Kwara State, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and a respected leader of the Ilorin community.
Governor AbdulRazaq also commiserates with the Emir of Ilorin Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the sad development, recalling the meritorious service of the late sage to Ilorin, the state as a whole, and to the law profession.
He asks Allaah to forgive and admit the former IEDPU President to al-jannah Firdaus and preserve all his heirs and the community on the path of goodness and righteousness.”
The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman, Kwara state Council of Chiefs Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari has described Alhaji Alarape Salman as a legal luminary of quality multi-purpose to the Ilorin Emirate,Kwara State and Nation in general.The Emir stressed that Alhaji Alarape Salman,SAN gave his best to the Ilorin Every in particular and humanity in general.
According to a condolence message issued by his spokesperson,Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, Mai Martaba confirmed that “the deceased was amiable, committed and dedicated to the development of the Nation as a vibrant Senior advocate of Nigeria,(SAN) and community leader whose years of selfless services spanned many decades”.
Significantly,the Emir prayed to Allah to comfort the family,ask for absolute forgiveness for the deceased shortcomings, acceptance of his good deeds and admission into paradise.
The Emir also commiserated with the Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq , the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney -General of the state, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) as well as the leadership of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) over the demise of a valuable elder statesman.
Furthermore,The Senator representing Kwara Central in the 10th Senate,Mallam Saliu Mustapha has called for the immortalization of the legal luminary.Here is his condolence message as monitored on his social media handles on 7th January,2024
“I offer my heartfelt condolences to the respected Alarape family on the loss of the distinguished legal icon, Alhaji Aliyu Alarape Salman SAN, who passed away today.
He is the father of my senior legislative aide at the Senate, Barrister Salman Salman. His son is a “chip off the old block,” embodying all the great attributes that Alhaji Salman was known for, including integrity, honesty, humility, and boundless generosity.
Alhaji Salman was a true gentleman and a prominent figure in the legal profession. His contributions to the growth and development of the legal profession are immeasurable.
Therefore, I strongly advocate for the immortalization of this eminent legal luminary, as his legacy will endure and continue to inspire generations to come.
May the Almighty Allah (SWT) forgive his imperfections, grant him eternal peace, and reward him with Al-Janah Firdaus.”
In the same vein, Honourable Ahmed Yinka Aluko,a member of House of Representatives representing Ilorin South/Ilorin East Federal Constituency has also mourned the late doyen of legal profession in Kwara state describing his death as shocking.He said he was a close ally of their late father,Alhaji Saidu Kawu and equally extended his condolences to the entire family of Salman’s family, the Emir of Ilorin,the Executive Governor of Kwara State and the people of Ilorin Emirate,and Kwara State in general.He prayed to Allah to bless Alhaji Salman’s soul and reward him with aljannah firdaus.
Honourable Mukhtar Tolani Shagaya,a member of House of Representatives representing Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency equally wrote as monitored on his social media handles “It is with deep sorrow and a heavy heart that I express my condolences on the passing of Alhaji Alarape Salman, SAN. He was a man of great integrity and wisdom, and his contributions to Kwara State as a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, as well as his service as the National President of IEDPU, will never be forgotten. He was a light in this world, and his memory will continue to shine in the hearts of all those who knew him. May Allah grant him eternal peace in the highest level of paradise. Ameen.”
The Speaker of Kwara state House of Assembly,Rt Hon Yakubu Danladi -Salihu also lent his voice in mourning the the death of Dr Aliyu Salman,he described him as a community leader whose contributions to the government and community development are immeasurable.
Most importantly,Barrister Salman Salman,the son of late legal luminary and Senior Legislative Aide to Senator Saliu Mustapha described his father thus: “Alhaji Aliyu Salman SAN was a simple person who did not take life too hard. He was not a flamboyant person but someone that preferred to live within the tenet of Islam. My late father once told me that if he had achieved half of what he achieved through the legal profession under Islam, his life would have been fulfilled.” Allahu Akbar, meaning he was a man of great conscience.
It was a fulfilled life, because he grew old as an elder statesman with numerous accomplishments.He was born on 9th November,1942.He was a community leader and statesman from Ilorin West Local Government Area.He was popularly referred to as the Doyen of the Bar in Kwara state.
He attended the Al-Adabiyyah Muslim School(now known as the Ansarl-Islam Primary School and later Baptist Day Primary School .He completed his elementary school at Baboko Primary School Ilorin in 1954.The legal luminary attended the prestigious Barewa College and graduated in 1959,after which he went to Ahmadu Bello University ,Zaria between 1964 and 1967 where he studied Law and bagged LLB degree.He then proceeded to Nigerian Law,Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1968.
It is often said that great men also started from somewhere .He was a Teacher at Baboko Senior Primary School Ilorin . Alhaji Aliyu Alarape Salman joined the services of the Government of the then North-Western State in Sokoto as Pupil State Counsel and rose to the position of Solicitor General in the ministry of Justice of Sokoto from where he was appointed the Attorney -General and Commissioner for Justice in Kwara state by the Government of General George Innih in 1976.Dr Salman resigned his appointment as a Commissioner in 1978 and started his private Practice as the Principal of SARAA Chambers ,a name that was coined from the first letter of his five children.
Alhaji Aliyu Salam rose to the peak of his career on 13th February, 1987 when he was elevated to the noble status of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).He was a life Bencher and the Doyen among Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) in Kwara state.He was the fourth oldest SAN in the North and was the first SAN produced by Ahmadu Bello University,Zaria.He was the first Northerner to chair the Board of the African Petroleum (AP) between 1984 and 1985.He was a recepient of the honourary causa (Dr) from the University of Ireland.
In conclusion, the legal luminary was a man of an impeccable character as he had excelled in his career through commitment and service to humanity.May Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him aljannah firdaus.
