Lateef Adegbite was a lawyer who became Attorney General of the Western Region of Nigeria, and who later became Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
21 Facts About Lateef Adegbite
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Abdu-Lateef Oladimeji Adegbite was born on 20 March 1933 into a strictly Muslim Egba family in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
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Lateef Adegbite says himself that he attended Arabic School, then entered St Paul's Primary School in Igbore, Abeokuta in 1942, when he was aged nine.
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Lateef Adegbite then studied at the College of Law for Solicitors, Lancaster Gate in London, and then at Gray's Inn.
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Lateef Adegbite began his career teaching law at the University of Lagos, holding this position until retiring to go into private practice in September 1976.
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In 1971 Lateef Adegbite was appointed Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Matters in the old Western Region of Nigeria during the military administration of Brigadier Christopher Oluwole Rotimi.
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Lateef Adegbite was then appointed Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the Western Region in 1973.
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Lateef Adegbite was one of the founders of the Abeokuta Social Club in 1972.
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Lateef Adegbite was president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee from 1972 to 1985.
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Lateef Adegbite was Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Maiduguri from 1984 to 1990.
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Lateef Adegbite became a member of the Executive Committee of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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Lateef Adegbite became a Director of Industrial and General Insurance Plc.
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Lateef Adegbite was appointed a Commander of the Order of the Niger.
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Lateef Adegbite holds the traditional titles of Seriki of Egbaland and Baba Adinni of Egba Muslims.
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Dr Lateef Adegbite was a brother of the late famous, renowned historian Professor Saburi Biobaku, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos.
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At the constituent assembly in 1976, Lateef Adegbite argued in favour of introducing Islamic courts of appeal into the southern states of Nigeria, arguing that Muslims had the right to have their affairs judged according to Sharia law.
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Lateef Adegbite reasserted this position in December 2002 during a period of heightened tension between Christians and Muslims.
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Lateef Adegbite was chairman of the Ogun State Pilgrims Board and a member of the National Pilgrims Board.
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When Ibrahim Dasuki became Sultan of Sokoto in 1988 and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Lateef Adegbite was appointed Secretary-General of the council.
20.
Lateef Adegbite immediately rejected this position, since the journalist was not Muslim and the newspaper had apologised publicly.
21.
When UNESCO arranged a conference on inter-religious dialogue in Abuja in December 2003, Lateef Adegbite was invited to speak on The role of religious leaders in conflict resolution.