•Bayo Ojo, Osipitan, Ajogwu, Nwobike, Ajayi, others pay glowing tributes Wale Igbintade The Nigerian legal profession has been thrown into mourning following the death of renowned legal scholar, advocate and former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Prof. Alfred Kasunmu (SAN) who died peacefully in the early hours of Sunday. He was 92. Kasunmu, widely regarded as one of the most distinguished figures of Nigeria’s legal profession and a towering personality of the golden era of Nigerian advocacy, was remembered by leading members of the Bar as a remarkable scholar, gentleman, mentor and statesman whose contributions profoundly shaped legal education, jurisprudence and legal practice in Nigeria. It came as Kasunmu’s death was formally announced by his family, which described him as a beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather. “With gratitude to God for a life well spent, we announce the passing of our beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Professor Alfred Bandele Kasunmu, SAN, who departed peacefully in the early hours of Sunday, 9th August 2026,” the family said. “Born on May 23, 1934, in Lagos to parents from Ilesa, Osun State, Kasunmu received his early education at Elizabeth Fowler Memorial School, Reagan Memorial Baptist School and Baptist Academy, Lagos. “He proceeded to University College London, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1964 and began his academic career the same year as one of the pioneer lecturers at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University. In 1971, he joined the University of Lagos as a senior lecturer and was subsequently elevated to the rank of Professor of Law. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, from 1973 to 1975 before his appointment in 1975 as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, a position he held for three years,” the family stated. His appointment as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the family stressed, followed on January 25, 1978, placing him among the earliest members of the Inner Bar. Kasunmu was also a Notary Public of Nigeria and remained active in legal scholarship and advocacy for decades. A prolific author, he was joint author of several influential legal texts and published numerous scholarly articles covering a wide range of legal subjects. His legal practice spanned several areas of Nigerian law. The family said he represented prominent expatriate and domestic clients before courts at various levels and appeared as counsel before arbitration panels in Nigeria and abroad. Among those who paid glowing tributes to the late legal luminary was former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) who described Kasunmu as a remarkable scholar and gentleman whose influence extended far beyond the classroom and courtroom. Recalling his personal encounter with the deceased, Ojo said Kasunmu was his Dean at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in 1974. “He was my Dean at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lagos in 1974,” he said. Ojo said learning under Kasunmu left an indelible mark on his career and that of countless other lawyers who passed through his tutelage. According to him, Kasunmu possessed a rare combination of intellectual brilliance, professional competence, humility and dignity. Despite his formidable knowledge of the law, Ojo said the late professor never used his intellectual superiority to intimidate others but deployed it to illuminate difficult legal questions, challenge young minds and encourage his students to think deeply and independently. Ojo described Kasunmu as a foundational figure in the development of modern Nigerian jurisprudence, noting that his life was devoted not only to the practice of law but also to the advancement of legal knowledge and the training of successive generations of lawyers. As Dean of the Faculty of Law, UNILAG, between 1973 and 1975, Kasunmu, Ojo noted, played a pivotal role in shaping young legal minds while maintaining high standards of academic discipline and professional excellence. Also mourning the legal icon, Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN) said Kasunmu made invaluable contributions to legal education and practice in Nigeria. Nwobike noted that Kasunmu was among the early Nigerian academics who ventured into legal practice, bringing to advocacy a depth of scholarship that distinguished him from his contemporaries. “As one of the early academics who ventured into law practice, his advocacy in courts was very analytical and progressive. Through the various cases that he handled, he helped to define the Nigerian common law,” Nwobike said.
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