Atiku’s Lawyer, Dankofa Dies At 61

Prof. Yusuf Dankofa, one of the lawyers who defended the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is dead.

Dankofa, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, died on Tuesday.

Our correspondent gathered that 61-year-old Dankofa, who died of an undisclosed ailment, has been buried according to Islamic rites.

The deceased, who hailed from Kano State, was born in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in 1963.

He started his early education at Omolewa Nursery and Primary School in Oritamefa, Ibadan, and went on to attend his secondary education at Ahmadiyya Grammar School, now Anwar Islam Grammar School, Eleyele, Ibadan.

Dankofa further went to the University of Sokoto, now Usman Danfodiyo University, where he obtained an LL.B Hons in Law in 1987, and went to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos for his Bachelor of Law in 1988.

In 1989, he joined the Faculty of Law at ABU and later rose to the position of Professor of Law in 2015.

Throughout his career, he displayed a commitment to social justice, focusing on International Human Rights Law and Development Law, particularly advocating for the rights of indigenous peoples and socio-economic inclusion.

Meanwhile, Abubakar, took to his X handle to commiserate with the deceased’s family.

He wrote, “I received with sadness the shocking news of the demise of a legal luminary and my counsel, Prof. Yusuf Dankofa, who died at the age of 61.

“The late legal icon who has made invaluable contributions in the field of law, especially in social justice, international human rights, and the rights of the indigenous people will be greatly missed by all.

“On behalf of my family, I join the good people of Kano State, the members of the academic community, in particular the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), and his immediate family to mourn the deceased. May Allah comfort his family, forgive his sins and grant him AlJannah Firdaus.” (Punch)