Book review: Emir Sulu-Gambari championed right to bail, fair hearing as appeal court justice
A new legal publication has highlighted how the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu-Gambari, CFR, consistently defended the constitutional rights to bail and fair hearing during his distinguished career as a Justice of the Court of Appeal.
The revelation is contained in The Bar, The Bench and The Crown: A Living Legend’s Contribution to Law and Justice in Nigeria, a 2026 publication by the National Association of Kwara Law Students (NAKLAS), reviewed by Professor D. A. Ariyoosu of the Department of Business Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin.
According to the review, one of the book’s central highlights is Justice Sulu-Gambari’s landmark decision in Ebute v. State (1994), where he firmly upheld the constitutional rights of accused persons to fair hearing and bail, regardless of the gravity of the allegations against them.
The review notes that several contributors examined the judgment, describing it as a defining example of the jurist’s commitment to the rule of law and protection of fundamental human rights.
Justice Sulu-Gambari, according to the book, maintained that no matter how serious a criminal accusation may be, the constitutional guarantees of fair hearing and the right to bail cannot be arbitrarily denied by the state.
The publication argues that the decision demonstrated his willingness to protect the rights of the accused even in the face of public pressure, insisting that constitutional safeguards must extend to every citizen, including those facing unpopular or serious charges.
The reviewers further observed that the judgment reinforced the legal principle of audi alteram partem, the requirement that every person must be given an opportunity to be heard before any decision affecting their rights is taken.
According to the book, Justice Sulu-Gambari believed justice could only be served where courts remained impartial and based their decisions solely on evidence presented before them.
The publication also references the symbolism of Lady Justice, noting that the blindfold represents impartiality and that judicial officers must dispense justice without regard to ethnicity, religion, social status or personal opinion.
Beyond the Ebute decision, the book highlights another landmark judgment in Ogungbemi v. Asamu (1986), where Justice Sulu-Gambari, despite belonging to a prominent Islamic royal family, delivered judgment in favour of a Christian church in a contentious land dispute.
The review states that legal scholar Dauda Ridwan Sarumi used the case to illustrate the former appellate justice’s unwavering commitment to judicial neutrality, arguing that his decisions were guided strictly by evidence and the law rather than religious affiliation.
The publication describes the judgment as a demonstration of both professional integrity and fidelity to the principle that justice must remain blind to religious and ethnic differences.
In all, the book reviews twelve landmark decisions delivered or influenced by Justice Sulu-Gambari while serving on the Court of Appeal, covering constitutional law, criminal law, commercial litigation, banking law, civil procedure and customary law.
Professor Ariyoosu noted that these judgments collectively portray the Emir as a jurist who consistently favoured substantive justice over technicalities, ensuring that legal procedures served the cause of justice rather than obstructing it.
He added that the publication presents Sulu-Gambari’s judicial philosophy as one rooted in fairness, due process and the protection of constitutional rights, principles that, according to the contributors, have continued to shape Nigerian jurisprudence long after his retirement from the bench.
The reviewer concluded that the book serves not only as a tribute to the Emir of Ilorin’s legal career but also as an important scholarly resource documenting his enduring contributions to the development of law, justice and judicial independence in Nigeria.
