Nigeria, Feb. 17 -- It is not difficult to place the man, Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo. He lived his life in the open. If we want to put his life in a straitjacket, we will be right if we describe him as a crusader for justice. He was forthright in his insistence that Nigeria, and any society for that matter, will continue to flounder in the absence of justice. Indeed, there can be no disputing the fact that Pa Adebanjo, while he lived, wrote his name in brilliant colours. He was a quintessential statesman -skilled, experienced and a respected political figure.

Unlike many political leaders in his class who, more often than not, lapse into moroseness and quietude in old age, Pa Adebanjo remained a firebrand to his last day. In a way, he almos...