Yahaya Mahmood: Tribute to a SAN ‘kind to a fault’

He was humble, easy going and a fountain of knowledge. He was always ready to answer any legal question thrown at him, supporting his answers with reported cases and statutes. His usual reply was “please send me your email’. Yahaya Mahmood was one of the lawyers who wrote one of the petitions to the National […]

He was humble, easy going and a fountain of knowledge. He was always ready to answer any legal question thrown at him, supporting his answers with reported cases and statutes. His usual reply was “please send me your email’.
Yahaya Mahmood was one of the lawyers who wrote one of the petitions to the National Judicial Council (NJC) that nailed Justice Ayo Isa Salami.
Ahmed Raji SAN in a telephone call from London yesterday prayed that God blesses his soul and grant him Al-Jannah (paradise).
He said, “Mahmood was a man kind to a fault and very humble. He was also very friendly and accommodating. Mahmood does not relate to me as a junior though he was made a silk one year before me. He did his best for all his clients. He was driven by his conviction and not by money,” Ahmed Raji said.
Barrister Lawrence Bassey who practices law in Kaduna also said that the late SAN has made enormous contributions to Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole.
“He has a good practice and a good interpersonal relationship with almost all lawyers in Kaduna. He was known for empowering young lawyers and taking good care of his lawyers,” Bassey said.
Barrister Shukriyya Dikko, a junior in his chamber said that it was impossible to find someone like the late learned SAN, describing him as the most easy going gentleman.
“He never gets angry or raises his voice at me or any one  since I knew him. I learnt a lot from him. He was my mentor. You won’t feel embarrassed when he explains any topic to you. He was a fountain of knowledge, if you ask him any question the way he responded was as if everything was at his finger tips. Sometimes when you open a law report or a text book on a topic he would tell you what it is all about. Each time I close my eyes, I see him smiling,” she said.
Dikko also said that the deceased was generous and showered gifts on his workers often.
The Kaduna-based Yahaya Mahmood SAN, died Friday at the age of 61 years in the office. He reportedly was in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) for surgery shortly before his death.
Born in Kachia,Kaduna State, Mahmood attended Alhudahuda College, Zaria from 1965-1969, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1971-1973) and later the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and the Oxford University, UK, in 1981.
He obtained his school leaving certificate in 1969, diploma in law 1973, BL in 1978 and certificate, law reporting course in 1981.
Mahmood started his career as a clerical officer, Government House, Kaduna, between 1970 and 1971; became registrar, High Court 1973 to 75, and a chief magistrate in Kaduna, 1979-1981.
He ventured into private practice from 1990 and was conferred with the SAN title in 2011.
He served as vice chairman, Kaduna State Sports Council in 1991. He was married and had five children.