A human rights lawyer based in Lagos, South West Nigeria, Mr Bamidele Aturu today died at a Lagos hospital after an undisclosed illness at the age of 49.
The news of the demise of the radical lawyer was confirmed by his bosom friend, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju.
In reacting to Aturu's death, former Chairman, Lagos branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Taiwo Taiwo described the death of Aturu as shocking, sad. He said, "Aturu was a human rights activist per excellence. I am just short of words.
Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Projects (SERAP), Adetokunbo Mumuni expressed sadness over the development saying aturu's demise is a major loss to the human rights community in Nigeria.
According to Mumuni, "We have lost a legal giant who fought seriously towards ensuring that things are properly done and that the rights of the people are not trampled upon more especially by the government of the day."
Another lawyer, Ade Atambi maintained that Aturu's death is a great loss to Nigeria and indeed the international legal community.
He added that, "He was a fighter against power abuses when, as a member of the National Youth Service Corps, he refused to shake the hand of a military administrator of Niger State, Colonel Lawan Gwadabe in 1988 during his NYSC passing out parade declaring that the military had caused great harm to the democratic aspirations of Nigerians.
History has it that the late Aturu was one of the founding members of Democratic Alternative, a political group committed to pursuing deep-rooted democratic principles and holding those in power accountable to the governed.
He Studied law at the University of Ife, and devoted much of his legal practice to representing marginalized or oppressed individuals and groups.
Interestingly, the late radical lawyer was nominated as a member of the ongoing National Conference but refused to take up the appointment on the reason that the conference was designed to achieve nothing.
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