HON. JUSTICE AFOLABI FATAI ADEYINKA (RTD).

AFOLABI FATAI ADEYINKA will always keep recurring as a Constant Star. The Ikorodu-born legal luminary started his early education as a Quranic scholar at a tender age at the Lagos Central Mosque Quranic School. Abdul Fatai became well versed in Islamic tutelage which in no small measure shaped his sound moral standard and rightful approach to life. Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka yelled into this world on the 2n day of July, 1939 through the parentage of Alhaji (Chief) Tijani Adeyinka the late Asiwaju of Ikorodu and Madam Sabitiyu Towobola who made sure that the Islamic education did not disturb the child's Western education.
He attended Ereko Methodist School, Lagos and recorded a brilliant performance in the G2 Examination in 1954. He was admitted into the Saka Tinubu Memorial High School, Lagos in 1955 and became one of the pioneer students of Ahmadiyya College, Agege in 1956. The brilliant performance of young Fatai was exhibited in his West African School Certificate Examination in 1959. He made a brief spell as a 3rd class clerk at the Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos in 1960 where he passed the GCE "O" Level and proceeded to England in 1962. His first academic grab in England was his successful performance in the GCE Advance Level at the Leeds College of Commerce which enabled him to secure an admission into Holborn College of Law, London where he obtained the LL.B Degree.2nd Class Honours of the University of London in 1966. He crowned it with a Postgraduate Diploma First Class pass in Industrial Administration in 1968 at the Woolich Polytechnic London. He attended the mandatory Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1969.

Lawyer Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka cloaked himself in regalia in legal practice at the law firm of Ogunsanya & Ogunsanya from 1969-1974. The legal light beamed on him and he was prompted to founding a legal firm named Afolabi Adeyinka & Co. Legal Practitioners. He was the major partner in the legal firm from 1974-1986 when he was elevated to the Lagos High Court Bench on the 11th day of February 1986. He was sworn in alongside Justices Sotuminu (Mrs.), Olugbani, Okunola and Hunponu-Wusu.

Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka spares his leisure time to interact with friends and colleagues. He was the Premier of Idunmota Boys and Girls Club, Lagos in 1960. He became the General Secretary of the Federation of Boys and Girls Club during the Nigerian Independence celebration in 1960, and in that capacity he made a national broadcast on the radio on behalf of the Nigerian youths on the 1st October, 1960.

Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka joined the Premier Club of Nigeria-the Island Club in 1970 during the Chairmanship of THE BOY IS GOOD Chief I.S. Adewale of blessed memory. He celebrated his 21years membership of the Island Club in 1991 by a modest donation of N21,000.00 to the Club. Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka was made a member of the Disciplinary Sub-Committee of the Island Club since 1995 and in 2003, the Management Committee elevated him to the post of the Chairman of the Disciplinary Sub-Committee of the Island Club, Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka retired from the Lagos State Judiciary on the 2nd July, 2004 as the Chief Judge of Lagos State. This Former Chief Judge of Lagos State has the singular honour of being a three times Chairman of the Disciplinary Sub-Committee of the Island Club in 2003, 2004 and 2006. In the year 2005, he was also made the Chairman of the Investigation Panel on the Membership of the 2005 Electoral Committee of the Island Club. In2006, the Management Committee recalled Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka to be the Chairman of the 2006 Electoral Sub-Committee of the Club. Upon the successful conduct of the Island Club2006 Election and as fate will have it, Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka(Rtd) was appointed the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission in May, 2007 by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the immediate past Governor of Lagos State.

Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka made a modest contribution of N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) into the Ultra Modern Millennium Development Project of the Club. He is an inaugural member of the Island Club Elders Luncheon Forum.

Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka is also a member of Ikoyi Club 1938, former President of Oriwu Club Ikorodu and the Pioneer President of the Lagos Social Dandies of which Alhaji Femi Okunnu SAN. CON. is the Life Patron. He is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Lagos State Scout Council. He was also the President of the Shooting Star of Islam 1942, an Islamic association founded in 1942 by Prof. Asuni, Prof. A.B. Fafunwa, Alhaji Babatunde Jose and others.

The classmates and peers of Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka at the Holborn College of Law, London were HRM. Alhaji Kolapo Sulu Gambari, the Emir of Ilorin and Former Justice of the Court of Appeal; HRM. Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi the Olowo of Owo; HRM. Adedoyin Adegbite, the Oba of Ikare; Mr. Femi Somolu; Chief Kayode Ogunmekan and other notable personalities too numerous to mention.

Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka was the 11th Chief Judge of Lagos State; the 2nd Chief Judge of Lagos State from private practice after the legendary Hon. Justice J.I. C.Taylor of blessed memory and the first Chief Judge of Lagos State from Ikorodu. During his Lordship's tenure as the Chief Judge of Lagos State, he launched in Nigeria the first revolutionary High Court of Lagos State Civil Procedure Rules on the 16th June, 2004. In recognition of his achievements and contributions, his community bestowed on him the Chieftaincy titles of the Otun Bamofin of Ikorodu, the Bamofin Adeen Alasalatu of Nigeria and the Otun Baba Adeen of Oriwu Central Mosque, Ikorodu. The Ikorodu community mounted the photograph of Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka in the HALL OF FAME at the Town Hall, Ikorodu.

Lagos State Government appointed Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka (Rtd) as the Chairman of the Standing Tribunal of Inquiry into the civil disturbance caused by maladministration in two Local Governments and Chairman, Tribunal of Inquiry into the attack on the immediate past Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubarka.
Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka enrolled after his retirement at the Zehek Computer Training Center at Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos where he became computer literate after a 6months training. He does not believe that retirement is the end of learning. Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka (Rtd) therefore applied to the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) Nigerian Branch and on the 17th -19th November, 2005, sat and passed the Entry Course as an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Hon. Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeymka is presently the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission.