Solomon Adun Asemota

Solomon Adun Asemota SAN (born December 8, 1938) is a Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist. He is the founder and principal partner of the law firm of Solomon Asemota & Co. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1986.

Solomon Adun Asemota SAN
Born	(1938-12-08) 8 December 1938 Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
Nationality	Nigerian
Other names	Agbonfioroh
Alma mater	University of Benin
Occupation(s)	Lawyer and human rights activist
Years active	1970-present
Spouse	Irene Asemota
Children	2
Awards	Jubilee Alumnus Award, Law Faculty, University of Lagos Distinguished Merit Award, Edo State University, Ekpoma 1996 CAN Merit Award November 1999

Early life and education

Solomon Adun Asemota was born on December 8, 1938, in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, Southern Nigeria. His early formal education began in 1945 at St. Luke School, Jos, before he completed his secondary school education in 1948 at Immaculate Conception College, Benin City. He attended Southern Police College, Ikeja, Lagos (1959–1960) (Cadet Sub-Inspectors’ Course) before going to Wakefield Police College, Yorkshire, England, in 1962 for Advanced Police Training and Scottish Police College, Kincardine, Scotland, in 1969 for Senior Officers Training in organisation and management.

He attended the University of Lagos between 1964 and 1969, where he obtained his Bachelor of Law (Honours) degree in 1969. In 1970, he was called to bar and became a barrister at Law after completing his studies at the Nigerian Law School.

Career

The Nigerian Police Force

He was enlisted in the Nigerian Police Force as a Cadet Sub-Inspector: (course no. 6) in 1959. After training, he was posted to Ikeja Province where he served first as a prosecutor at the Chief Magistrate's Court, Ikeja, in Chief Magistrate Mason Begho's Court. In 1961, he became a course officer at Man O’ War Bay in Victoria, Cameroons. He then returned to Nigeria, serving as a prosecutor at the Chief Magistrate's Court Sapele, under Chief Magistrates Olayinka Odumosu and Sikiru Abina. Later in 1961, he became an Inspector, Administrator, Second-in-Command Traffic Division, and later joined the Crime Branch at the Ikeja Provincial Police Department.

In 1962, he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police, and designated Chief Officer of the Local Government Police Ondo North comprising of, Ekiti, Akoko, and Owo Divisions, (which is about half of Ondo State), where he performed duties of Divisional Police Officer, in charge of 800 L.S. policemen and 26 police stations. He was seconded (for 6 months in 1963) to the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) now Democratic Republic of Congo. He served in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa), and later as Second-in-Command (Police) at Luluaburg (now Katanga).

He became the Aide-de-Camp to the First Governor of the Midwest Region, Chief Jereton Mariere, 1963 to 1964. Later, he left for the Southern Police College in Ikeja where he became the Course Officer for Cadet Sub-Inspector and Sergeants promotion courses at the Advanced Training Wing, 1964 to 1966. One of his students, Ibrahim Coomassie, later became the Inspector General of Police, while five others got to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGs).

He was the Second-in-Command from 1966 to 1968 at the National Bureau of the Interpol, Central C.I.D. Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos. And was, at one time, the Investigator attached to Tribunals of Inquiry into E.C.N. and the Ports Authority. He was promoted to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police and was a member of the Nigeria Police Officers Delegation to the Interpol Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1967. He was later transferred to the Crime Division as Second-In-Command.

In 1969, he was promoted to the rank of Superintendent and was appointed Officer-in-Charge, Detective Training School, Ikoyi, Lagos.

He resigned from the Nigeria Police Force in October 1970 to practice law.

Law

He was appointed Secretary to the Nigerian Bar Association, Benin Branch, 1974 to 1978. He became the National Treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association, 1978 to 1980, then served as Secretary, Finance Committee, Sixth Commonwealth Law Conference, 1980. He was also a member of the General Council of the Bar 1978 to 1984. He became a Visiting Lecturer for Courses in Civil Procedure at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in 1985.

From 1979 to 1985, he was a member of the Council of Legal Education. He also became a Member, Disciplinary Committee, of the General Council of the Bar, from 1990 to 1995 and a Member, Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee from 1991 to 1993 (the committee that confers the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on Lawyers).

He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1986.

At various points in his career, he represented Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd., Dumez Nigeria Ltd., Elf Oil Nig. Ltd., Bight Engineering Ltd., Life Flour Mill Ltd., Sapele, Nigeria Police Force, State Security Services, University of Benin, Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission (OMPADEC).

He was also the personal lawyer of General Yakubu Gowon, whom he continues to represent to this day. Other notable mentions include Hon. Anthony Aniagolu, retired Justice of the Supreme Court; Alhaji Shehu Shagari, former President of Nigeria; Justice Ovie-Whiskey, 1983 Chairman, FEDECO; and Sunday Adewusi, former Inspector-General of Police whom he represented at the Judicial Inquiry into the activities of the defunct FEDECO. Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, former Governor of Kano State, and Chief Jim Nwobodo former Governor of Anambra State, were released from prison in 1986.

He is the founder and principal partner of the law firm Solomon Asemota & Co. (since 1970), Barristers and Solicitors, with offices in Benin City, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and London.

Recognition

• Independence Medal, 1960
• ONUC Medal (Congo), 1962
• Republican Medal, 1963
• Civil War Medal, 1970

Honours

• Jubilee Alumnus Award, Law Faculty, University of Lagos, for outstanding achievement in society in 1987.
• Distinguished Merit Award, Edo State University, Ekpoma 1996
• CAN Merit Award, November 1999

Publications

• “Nigerian's Securities and Exchange Commission Act 1979” (In the International Business Lawyer, Journal of the Section on Business Law of the International Bar Association, October 1981, Vol. 9)
• “Free and Fair Election: Key to stability of party government in Nigeria” 4 and 5 above are published in “Current State of Affairs,” an International Features Magazine, June and October 1992.
• A Chapter in the Book: Policing Nigeria's Past, Present, and Future Policing under Civilian and Military Administrations 1993;
• The struggle for Justice, 2001 publication;

of Nigeria at the meeting of the Representatives of the Laity, Archdiocese of Lagos at IWOPIN on Friday, July 14, 2006;

• Ojukwu and the Ethnic Nationalities Movement of Nigeria by Solomon Asemota, SAN, November 28, 2011
• Constitutional Development Options for Sustainable Development in Nigeria, January 2017;