I met this young man through his father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, at the headquarters of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Ebute-Metta, Lagos. He was very committed in his devotion and stood out amongst the rest, given his imposing stature. Later on when I had occasion to sit with him and his wife as a panelist during a couples’ seminar, I got to know him as the father of Herbert.

Many years thereafter, I got a phone call from one of my mentors in the legal profession to quickly join him in Ikoyi. I raced down there. It turned out to be a legal assignment involving Herbert. When I eventually met him, he was very cool, calm and relaxed. It turned out that he was then the one preaching to me on the need for patience and cooperation with the system.

While waiting for the interview, I had cause to engage him on many issues, from politics to the economy, to his faith in God and even legal matters. Herbert was very knowledgeable, courageous and daring indeed. But he was also very gentle, firm and humble.

After explaining the legal issues involved in the matter at hand to him, he then dropped a bombshell when he stated emphatically that he was going to enroll to study law. I asked him how? With all his crowded schedules and the busy routine of steering the ship of the big Access Bank. He would read everything sent to him and respond when necessary.

Always ready to assist, Herbert would link you up with anyone so long as it would add value to you. When I got to know that he had actually enrolled for the law course, I sent him a message asking why he would not seek permission from senior lawyers before crossing from banking to law. Later on, it was time for us to travel together.

Herbert greeted the pilot familiarly and warmly, joking with the hostesses as we climbed the plane to take our seats. He was very disciplined with his diet, taking tiny little bits of specially prepared nutritious diet but skillfully passing the mendemendes (we call them junks) to me. What is my own! I guzzled everything and washed them down. After our engagement, he then took me to his house, asking me to sit in the inner chamber. I just stood on my feet, wondering how he expected me to sit in his private chamber as a first-time visitor to his house. When he got back from where he had gone to instruct his aides to prepare food for me and noticed that I was still standing up, he queried me thus: “are you not my lawyer, who is supposed to know all my secrets?” He just left me there dazed and went about his meetings.

I then looked at myself, this village boy, in this mansion with one of the biggest bankers in town! I collapsed my little frame on the sofa and began to devour the rich diet placed before me. I even slept off when the air conditioner had done its work on me.

Back in Lagos, he took me straight to his office and asked me to sit down and feel at home. How? In this big palace? Herbert was very jovial, down to earth and unassuming. He touched everyone that crossed his path. No doubt Nigeria has lost a gem but I still believe that the owners of the Chopper can be brought to book. Rest in power, man of God and man of the people.
Adegboruwa is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).