To celebrate the 25 years of his appointment as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Legal Luminary Joseph Bodunrin Daudu SAN popularly referred to as JB Daudu wrote:
“Kindly join me in thanking God Almighty for the grace of celebrating today 25 (Twenty-Five ) years as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. It seems just like yesterday on the 24th of April 1995 when 14 of us were sworn in before the Honourable Mr. Justice Mohammed Bello (Chief Justice of Nigeria) as SAN’s thereby catapulting us to the coveted and indeed exalted rank of legal practitioners. God Almighty has been exceedingly faithful in this past quarter of a century as HE has been all my life. Kindly join my family, friends and associates who have stood by us, in good times and not so good times during the period in consideration in thanking God Almighty for all his protection, love and mercy which HE abundantly placed at our disposal. To God be the Glory.
It has pleased the Lord to allow this date fall within the period when the whole world including our dear nation Nigeria is reeling under the scourge of the grave pandemic of Corona virus (Covid 19) and the attendant guidelines of social distancing and movement restriction in the face of its trauma to humanity at large. The celebrations for now must consist of prayerful supplications to God Almighty through my saviour Jesus Christ for mercy on the whole world particularly our dear country Nigeria. May God safely and expeditiously see us through this discomforting pandemic and cause as HE stayed the hand of the destroying angel on the threshing field of Araunah the Jebusite when 70, 000 Israelites perished as a result of the pestilence brought about by the sin of King David in numbering the people of Israel against the Decree of God Almighty. (2nd Samuel 24: 10-24) Our sins are numerous in Nigeria and worldwide, thus may we persevere in prayer for our creator to mercifully spare us, while we strive to fear HIM and do his will.
This celebration is dimmed by the absence of my dear late wife Ranti who left us to be with the LORD about three years ago. We struggled together but the Lord in his infinite and unquestionable wisdom called you to rest in HIS bosom. May your soul and the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God continue to Rest in Peace.
Now for all those who have contributed to this success all these years, too numerous to identify, but you know yourselves i.e. members of the Bar, Bench, the Legal Profession, my parish priests, Bishops, Arch Bishops, Cardinal, the Religious, parishioners, members of the Nigerian Bar Association, President, General Secretary, Past Presidents and Past General Secretaries of the NBA, staff of J B Daudu and Co, Rule of Law Development Foundation and the All Children Charity International Foundation, the Daudu Family, the Magongo Community, the Zaria community, (where it all started) the good Doctor and staff of BASS, my close friends and associates, highly valued Bar activists, members of my household, class of 1980 law school, class of 1979 ABU Law Faculty, my siblings, my lovely children and as I said every one who has played a role in this journey, I say thank you. God bless and reward you and bring you close to your own celebratory milestone, which will come sooner than later, IJMN Amen. God eternal, also guide and see us all through to the next milestone, which is the golden jubilee IJMN Amen.
In conclusion, find attached some photographs of that memorable day both at the Supreme Court and in church thereafter. Remain blessed in the Lord’s name.”
