Eminent Jurist Kayode Eso Dies At 79

According to a release by the family, Eso died peacefully in London at the early hours of Friday, during a brief illness.
 
He was survived by wife, children and grand-children.
 
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that among the first callers at Eso's residence at Ikolaba, Ibadan, was Chief (Mrs) Folake Solanke (SAN)-- the first Nigerian female lawyer.
 
She described his death as a colossal loss to his family, the legal profession, country and the entire world that cared about the rule of law.
 
"I find it extremely difficult to be using the past tense to talk about him.
 
"The late justice was a man who represented the golden age of the Supreme Court in Nigeria.
 
"His legal knowledge was awesome; his knowledge of literature was superb and his knowledge of the English language was extra-ordinary," she said.
 
Solanke added that Eso was also a God-fearing man, who recently commissioned a chapel built at his personal expense for his people at Ilesa, Osun State.
 
 "He was a family man and he loved human beings; all members of the bench and bar gained from his knowledge," she added.
 
NAN reports that prominent lawyers in Lagos who reacted to his death also paid glowing tributes to Eso.
 
The lawyers, who spoke to NAN in separate interviews, lauded Eso’s immense contributions to the advancement of the nation’s judiciary.
 
A constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said the death was a major tragedy and blow to Nigeria.
 
Sagay said: ``For me, it is a major tragedy because he was not only a legal colossus, he was the 'Mr Integrity' of Nigeria.
 
`` He was a landmark for honesty, integrity and principles.
 
``So it is a blow to the country and for me. He was an uncle to me. It is an exceptional loss, it is enormous and incalculable ``In fact, that is the person by whom I judge things, the standard that I follow.
 
`` Apart from his brilliance and his great contributions, his integrity and uprightness has been a beacon for the rest of us”.
 
Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), also described the death of the eminent jurist as shocking, adding that his contributions to the legal profession would outlive him.
 
He said: ``It is shocking but then it is also a graceful passage and a painless one. One can only pray that his beloved soul would rest in perfect peace.
 
`` Of course, he made substantial contributions to the legal profession, which would obviously outlive him.
 
`` He is known for being honest, he is known for being fearless, he is known for being just and above all, he was an incorruptible judge.”
 
On his part, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), said Eso’s death was a national calamity because he was one of the best judges Nigeria has ever produced.
 
Akinjide said:`` His judgments are comparable to the best judgments in all the English speaking world.
 
``It is a great loss to the Commonwealth and condolences to members of his family, Nigerians and the Federal Government.
 
``He was involved in putting together the Constitution of South Africa, which has been serving that country very well since Mandela.
 
``People like him are few and rare and may his soul rest in perfect peace”.
 
Mr Olu Daramola (SAN), said Eso was a pride to the country, adding that he would be remembered for being a judge with a very high sense of integrity.
 
``Eso was one of the finest brains in the country. He was a great man by all standard and a pride to the country.
 
``His death is a sad loss for Nigeria”, Daramola said.
 
A human rights activist, Mr Bamidele Aturu said the former Supreme Court judge exemplified the core values of the legal profession.
 
``It is a very sad loss in the sense that the man represented the best of our values in judicial system.  
 
``Eso was outstanding in terms of integrity, in terms of dedication to service and in terms of commitment to sound principles of the law. We will miss him greatly”, Aturu said.
 
The Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said the departed judge has left an irreplaceable vacuum in the judiciary.
 
Chairman of the branch, Mr Onyekachi Ubani, who described Eso as an epitome of  justice and honesty, said he his judgments were a combination of law, logic and reality.
 
Ubani said: `` He was one of the best to have passed through the judicial pinnacle, the Supreme Court. He is quite irreplaceable.
 
``He was an erudite judge who delivered judgements combining law, logic and reality. So that judgement reverberates even after many years of delivery.
 
``You cannot fault his judgement, his logic and any judicial pronouncement that he made. It is a sad news that we have lost Eso at this point in time”.
 
Mr Peter Ikujini, a former chairman, NBA, Ado-Ekiti branch, said Eso’s demise was a great loss to Nigeria.
 
``The Nigerian Bar and Bench will miss him badly. May his great soul rest in peace”, Ikujini said.
 
In his reaction, the Ibadan branch Chairman of the NBA, Mr Oluseun Abimbola, said Eso was forthright, credible and stood for integrity.
 
"This is obviously a sad loss, not only for the legal world, but for the country as a whole.
 
"He was one of the last few ones you could hope to emulate his principles.
 
 "He stood for the Nigeria project and he would be missed for his activities, especially as it relates to judicial reforms," he said.