Date: 2018-06-09

Glowing tributes continued yesterday for late former President of Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Adebayo Akanbi with a former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 general elections in Kwara State, Alhaji Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal, and erstwhile Deputy Governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the State, Comrade AbdulMumini Abdulkareem Onagun, extolling his virtues.

They described the late jurist as a man of humility and comrade per excellence, who would be remembered forever for his role in shaping the society positively.

In their separate statements issued in Ilorin, the duo said the death of Akanbi was a great loss to the country.

Lawal said the role of the late former pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences related Commission (ICPC) in the administration of justice and rule of law would not be forgotten.

"It is with great shock that I received the news of the death of one of Nigeria legal luminaries and a pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Justice Mustapha Akanbi.

"A distinguished jurist and a man full of humility and kindness, the late Justice Mustapha Akanbi will forever be remembered for his role in the administration of justice and his belief in the rule of law.

"The death of this amiable jurist is a great loss not only to Kwara but to the entire nation, especially at this time when Kwara and indeed Nigeria is in dire need of the entrenched values of unyielding patriotism and professional integrity, which the deceased espoused.

"I pray that Almighty Allah receive the soul of deceased and grant him everlasting repose of his soul. We shall all miss his cheerfulness and generous spirit. Our prayer is that God will comfort, keep and strengthen the deceased entire family. The late Justice Akanbi has left an indelible mark and also a vacuum, which may be difficult to fill", Lawal said. In his own statement, Onagun, who is also the state Chairman of Labour Party described the deceased as a comrade per excellence, who fought the cause of the downtrodden.

"I must frankly state here that as I know that man and to be sincere, I will describe the man as a former comrade per excellence and not only because of anything, he used most part of his life to actually fight for the cause of the downtrodden, and we want to pray that may the Almighty Allah grant his soul, Al-Janat firdaus", Onagun said.