There are men who pass through this world like whispers in the wind—seen today, forgotten tomorrow, and then there are men like Dr. Osagie Obayuwana—a storm that never quiets, a name written in the very struggles of the people.

At 70 years old, the lion still roars. His voice, like thunder, still shakes the halls of power. And on April 24, 2025, a public lecture—gathering warriors of law and justice, ideologues of socialist extraction, activists, and freedom fighters—will take place in Benin City, Edo state, to celebrate his life and, even more, to confront the battle still unfinished.

The theme of the event, “Abolition of All Forms of Poverty in Nigeria: Whose Task?”, is not an academic pontification. It is a call for critical retrospection, a challenge that weighs like chains and cuts as sharp as a guillotine.

The event will be chaired by legal icon Barr. Femi Falana, SAN, with the keynote lecture delivered by the firebrand Comrade (Barr.) Femi Aborisade. It will be held at the NBA Benin Secretariat, Bar House, behind the High Court, Sapele Road, Benin City, at 10:00 AM. It is a fitting tribute to a man who has championed the fight against poverty for decades.

Few men understand the weight of this fight like Comrade Obayuwana. From his days as a fiery student cadre to his fearless leadership in the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as the University of Benin branch secretary; from his tenure as Edo State’s Attorney General to his uncompromising role as National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), he has walked the stormy path of justice, bearing its weight like a warrior sworn to an unending battle. He has faced the beast of oppression and, time and again, refused to bow to Baal!

For decades, he has battled corrupt systems, defended the poor, and spoken against injustice with the force of a hurricane. When military boots trampled on freedoms, the Principal of the Unity Chambers stood tall. When governments tried to silence the people, he found ways to make their voices louder. His law practice transcends the conventional, where legal work is confined to courtrooms. He not only defends justice but also mobilizes people, leading them to take action against oppression. His work embodies the ethos of Nigeria’s first lawyer, Sapara Williams, who declared, “The legal practitioner lives for the direction of his people and the advancement of the cause of his country.”

True greatness kneels before those it seeks to uplift. Dr. Osagie Obayuwana’s humility is not a posture—it is the very essence of his being. His office had no doors to student comrades; it was a sanctuary where questions of principle found clarity and battles against oppression found legal armor. During my time as a student cadre at the University of Benin, I would show up unannounced, sometimes in groups, seeking guidance, seeking defense, seeking justice.

Never once did he turn us away. Whether it was a legal battle against an unjust school policy or a deeper ideological inquiry into the struggle for liberation, he listened, he advised, and he stood with us. His status never built a wall between him and those who sought truth, help and solidarity—if anything, it made him even more accessible.

As we honor him, we must ask ourselves: How true are we to the ideals that define Comrade Obayuwana’s legacy?

A lion does not grow old—he only gathers more wisdom for the hunt. At 70, Dr. Osagie Obayuwana is still hunting—hunting for justice. Dear young men and women, what is your excuse?