Radical Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, has done very, very well for himself. Interestingly, poverty nearly pummeled him to a standstill and submission at some point in his life. Doing many of us proud and also garnering some critics along the way, the Delta State-born good looking legal practitioner recounted his grass to grace story to YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, AZUH ARINZE, at his Keyamo Lane, Anthony Village, Lagos office. He also shed some light on his failed marriage, attitude to becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and more. Much more. Come with them…
What makes a good lawyer?
I think there are a number of factors. But that will depend on whether you are not confusing the words good and successful. They are two different things all together (We know). A good lawyer may not be successful; a successful lawyer may not be a good lawyer. There are some occasions when you see a very good lawyer who is very successful. For example, the late F.R.A Williams; for example, the late Gani Fawehinmi. Now, what makes a good lawyer therefore is very easy to define if you will agree with me that there’s a division between those two words. What makes a good lawyer is very simple – a lawyer who knows his law (Laughs); a lawyer who knows exactly what to do in court. A lawyer who takes advantage of every mistake by the opponent. A lawyer who knows how to get maximum results for his clients. A good lawyer in most cases is a smart lawyer. Because what makes a lawyer good is that you must be very smart. Law is an art where you find different means to solve a problem, and it gives you satisfaction at times to do that. You just look a problem, a raw problem like this just happening in front of you or you are just told the problem and then you must rummage through your head to find out the right principles to unravel that problem and then resolve it. So, a good lawyer is also a smart lawyer.
Why do most lawyers fail?
I don’t know what you mean by failure again. Because lawyers are always very careful with words. So, when you say failure…
(Interruption) Okay, why are some lawyers not successful?
Well, first of all, do I agree with you that most lawyers are not successful?
But we see lawyers daily who trek…
(Cuts in) – We see medical doctors who trek, we see engineers who trek, we see journalists who trek (Laughs).
We also see them, but for lawyers who do what could be responsible?
They are not smart. But on a serious note and jokes apart, I keep telling my juniors this – that knowing the law alone is not enough to be a successful lawyer. You must learn what they call human relations. I used to have a deputy head of chambers who was extremely cantankerous. He will quarrel with every client that comes, he will talk to them anyhow and I called him one day and I said, is it because this is not your chambers? Is it by magic that people just walk from the streets and come to us? Are we the only lawyers in Lagos? They have the option to go somewhere else, so why do you treat them anyhow? Is it because they think we are good? There are other good lawyers all over the place too. So, how do you now get a head start over your contemporaries? It’s also the way you treat people, because law involves a lot of psychology. How do you calm down your clients? How do you carry him along in solving his problem? How do you talk to him? Because he cannot come to you with his problems and you add to his problems? He’s coming to you to solve his problems. So, there is a lot of psychology and human relations too in practicing law and I think that, that is what gives one lawyer the edge over the other.
Why do some lawyers attain success and find it difficult to sustain it?
I don’t know whether you mean whether lawyers have money today, and they now become poor tomorrow? (Yes!) I think that people are too quick to judge or to reach conclusions that they are successful. That is why when they drop, people get confused. There are people who do not know how to manage their finances. A lawyer makes N20 million today, tomorrow he spends N19 million on showy display of things; on things that display that he has just made money. He buys one expensive car, he buys the most expensive clothes, he goes to stay in the most expensive place, at the end of the day, after spending N19.5 million because he wants to tell people that he has arrived, and some of them think that it is when you show such wealth, you get rich clients too. And so he spends N19.5 million not making any investment. He goes to stay in the nice place, the best places, buys the best cars and all that and tomorrow he cannot sustain that taste. That is why his fortune may change tomorrow because he doesn’t have the capacity to sustain the taste he has created for himself. So, that is why at the beginning of your life, you must be very careful. My father taught me that when I was growing up. The first set of money you make in life, this is how, this how…It’s very important for your early take off in life. The first real money you make, how do you handle it as a young man? I’m gonna tell my son the same thing. It’s very important for your gradual graduation in life. So, that, if you ask me, is due to mismanagement of resources.
What do you like most about being a lawyer?
The freedom to talk to whoever you want to talk to without it affecting your income. People don’t understand what I’m talking about. As a lawyer, your finances are not tied to anybody’s whims and caprices. And that’s what most people don’t know about law. In fact, the more you can stand up and tell people off, the more your prowess as a lawyer will go, because law involves the courage to speak your mind. That is what law is. The courage to speak your mind. So, that freedom…As I am here, I can abuse anybody in this country and go away. When I say abuse, abuse within the confines of the law. When I say abuse, abuse you in a justifiable manner; that what you have done you have done, and I will walk away and there will be no consequences tomorrow. Tomorrow I won’t see a sack letter on my table, tomorrow no judge can say you can’t enter my court to argue because you said this, you said that. But for Christ’s sake, if you are a businessman, don’t open your mouth anyhow (Laughs).
What don’t you like about being a lawyer?
It will be as a person and as a lawyer, because you are a person and you are looking at law. You see, what people don’t like is what I like. So, what you are asking me to identify as what I don’t like is what I actually like. Let me tell you what people don’t like about being a lawyer – people don’t like the fact that your read throughout. You don’t stop reading. Many people say so. They just want to get lazy in life and I’m sure you used to hear that oh, I can’t be a lawyer because I can’t be reading till I die. But that in my case is actually what I like very much. I like to read, it’s intellectually challenging to keep growing. So, that’s virtually the only thing somebody can point to that he doesn’t like about being a lawyer. But as I sit here now and looking up and down, left, right, I can’t find anything, because you know what, I breath law, I talk law, I eat law, I wake up, I sleep, thinking, dreaming law. Law is my life. And I make some money from it (General laughter).
What do you normally consider before accepting any brief?
95 percent of briefs are of general nature, so you really don’t consider anything. 95 percent of briefs are of general nature, like somebody took my land, somebody breached our contract, release or arrest a ship, somebody is owing me money and somebody lost my goods on transit. 95 percent of briefs are normal briefs. I lost an election, come and stand for me in an election petition. In that case, you won’t think, decide, did the person actually win or he did not win? Because the person is telling you that he won. Then, if you won, bring the facts. And then once there is an alert in my bank account that you have paid, I’m in court. We have very few types of cases; that’s when the issue of morality will now come in. Very few of them! And those are issues that you clearly stand against. The public knows that you are against such issues. I don’t think it will be good for a lawyer to confuse those who follow him, who like him, to now take up cases clearly against his conscience and his principles. I don’t think that is right. I’m sure you see a lot of my colleagues.
Are there times that you reject briefs here? If yes, why?
Oh yes! Once the case is not in consonance with my conscience. And of course, there are clear cases of conflict of interest. That is not debatable. Conflict of interest…If you retain me for example, once YES! pays money into my account and then somebody walks in and says YES! has defamed me, I will say ah, I cannot take up this case o! Because just yesterday I got an alert from YES!
What is the costliest mistake that most lawyers make?
It’s when you look at the facts of a case alone without looking at the technicalities of the law that must go with it. And the reverse angle is that you get carried away so much with the technicalities of the law; you just feel that you have seen a point of law without looking at the facts that form the basis of the case, because the facts in many cases are immutable. The facts are the foundation of the case upon which you lose and win a case. In fact, do you know that I have argued a brief before at the Court of Appeal; nearly a 60-page brief. I argued it, citing just one or two authorities and I won that case. Because I spent all my time analyzing and dissecting the facts in that brief and drawing to My Lords’ attention the defined details in the facts that they must look at and I won that appeal because I spent so much time on the facts of the case. So, that is one mistake that lawyers make.
How do you feel any time you lose a case?
Bad! Bad!! And before they pronounce the judgement, I’m on appeal. There’s no case before me that will not be appealable, because in the first place, I will not push it at the lower court. I will not even push it if I don’t have a point to prove. So, if I don’t have a point to prove, I will tell the client from day one, you don’t have a case. I will tell you, I will tell you openly, you don’t have a case. I’m not one of those lawyers who will tell you bring money, I must do your case. No! If you don’t have a case, I’m honest enough and I will not even take money advising you. I will do it free of charge. But if I find out you have a case, I must get ‘alert’ (General laughter).
How do you feel each time you win a case?
It’s the happiest feeling in the world. That’s when you know a true professional. In most cases, it’s not even the money. It’s not the money at all. That is secondary. When I win a case, I just walk on air that day as if I’m the best lawyer in the world. I will be looking at everybody like s…t, saying look, I know the law (Laughs). Just on a lighter side.
Which of your cases gives you the greatest joy?
There are many, many private cases. But because of client’s confidentiality, you can’t say that on tape. But let me tell you this, without mentioning the client’s name – a very rich man that was accused of murder. That trial went on for nearly four, five years. He was accused of murder and he was falsely accused of murder because they wanted to rope him in at all cost because a few people wanted it so. I defended him for 4 ½ years. The evidence against him appeared very overwhelming, but I sifted through it one by one, one by one, one by one (Stresses it) and at the end of the day he was pronounced not guilty. Saving somebody’s life, do you know what it means? The person looks at you and says this is my god (Laughs).
Which is the most lucrative brief that you have handled?
No! I won’t tell you that (General laughter). Don’t be asking such dangerous questions…Like Fela would say, next base jare!
Which is the worst case you have done?
Like I said, you still will not mention names because of client’s confidentiality. But there are a number of them. I can’t compare one against the other. Why I don’t have so much of that in my kitty is that it becomes worse when it’s not a good case at all. But I try not to take up those cases, like I told you. I will tell you from beginning that you don’t have a case. You find yourself in such a position when in the first place, you just plunge into a case knowing there’s no case and at the end of the day you are feeling bad. So, I’ve avoided such matters.
You started with Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s Chambers. What fond memories of your days with him do you still carry with you?
His drive, his passion for social justice, equity, his hard work. He pushed us to the limits and that momentum has carried me till today; so much so that it is not a problem at all if I spend time in the office till the wee hours of the morning, working. That’s the only way I get satisfaction. Do you know that if I wake up one day and half of the day is gone and I’ve not done anything substantial, I will just feel that I’m useless. I tell you, a feeling will just come inside me and will say look, Festus, it appears that your life is dwindling o! I will be telling myself your life is going; why have I not worked since morning? No matter the amount of money in the bank. That does not determine how successful I am. How successful I am is determined by how much work I put in a day. Even if I earn so much in a day, but I have not worked, my back is not paining me yet, I will say I’ve not worked today, I’ve not worked today…My life is going. That’s how I feel.
What was the greatest lesson you learnt from Chief Gani Fawehinmi?
It’s the lesson that we all know, that he taught all of us – once you are on the right path, don’t be afraid to stand and even stand alone. Let the world move in the opposite direction. That’s why today, their talk – people talk, Keyamo, Keyamo, Keyamo…But as it’s entering the right ear, it’s going through the left ear straight (Demonstrates it). My goals are always one-minded, dogged…Once I’m pursing a goal, ah, if you like you write headline for YES! o, I will be marching forward.
What is the greatest thing that law has done for you?
It has given me the weapon to confront the high and the mighty. I don’t know how I would have felt today if I cannot challenge the ills of society. I would have perhaps committed suicide. It would have been biting me like the late Prof. Awojobi. But because I have law in my kitty, I know exactly what to do.
What has law not done for you?
It has not given me the freedom to party as I like, boogie as I like, hang out as I like, club as I like, hang out with you as I like (General laughter).
What singular decision did you take that turned around your life for good?
The decision to read Law. It has to be that decision. I wanted to read Architecture. Law was not my original choice. Up to class 4, I was still doing Additional Mathematics. My father was shouting, this is not your calling. You are doing Additional Mathematics, solving problem like a mad man everyday; XYZ is equals to so, so and so. My father said, this is not your calling. Everybody was telling my father, this boy is a natural lawyer, because if I stood up like this and argued even in church, in our congregation – you know I was a Jehovah’s Witness – if I went out to preach like this, everywhere will be shaking. If I stood up before the congregation and addressed a crowd of 4000 at the age of 15, hey! Holy Spirit! There will be fire, fire (Laughs). That was the singular decision and what informed it was the pressure of everybody around my father. Career guidance counselors, my father’s friends, my teachers, everybody said, this boy, go and read law.
When did it dawn on you to be on your own?
It did not dawn on me because it was not deliberate. I’m sure everybody knows the story, so it’s not a story I can hide. There was a problem with the National Conscience Party we founded and I’m sure you know about that (YES!). There was a problem with National Conscience, some clear disagreement and that disagreement affected my relationship with chief and the chambers itself. Disagreement about a few things. Not only me. There were also a few other members of National Conscience and one morning I woke up and I said look, if your relationship is not good with your boss, you better leave and leave in peace. That was what happened. I left.
You had a very humble beginning. Can you take us into those days when you were starting out, the challenges and your eventual triumph?
First of all, I didn’t even take a photograph the day I was called to the Bar. I didn’t have money to take a photograph. So, as I speak with you, I don’t have a picture of my call to Bar. That’s how bad it was. Nobody could attend, because my parents were passing through very hard times. Nobody, no relative attended my call to Bar. That was 1993. When I came out of the hall, I saw people happy, eating and I just bowed my head. I was almost in tears. The reason I even had to leave on time was that everything I wore, from head to toe, was borrowed. Of course, you will be required to buy all these things before the call to Bar – your wig, your gown, your suit and all that. But everything, except the pant I was putting on; the dross, we used to call it dross; that was the only thing that belonged to me. Every other thing, to the shoes, was borrowed. So, I had to return all of them as quickly as possible and I ‘entered’ a Molue to Okokomaiko. I was staying with seven boys in one room then. After Okokomaiko, Iyana Sachi, before Ijanikin. You know you are an aje butter, you have not hustled in those areas in Lagos (Laughs). Let me even tell you how I started hustling. I started hustling from outside Lagos into Lagos. You know, if you come to Lagos and you start hustling from inside Lagos, you are not a Lagosian. You have to first of all go and stay on the outskirts, like Ikorodu, like Odogiyan or Akute. In those days, Akute was a bush. And as your money was increasing, you will be paying rent, moving first to Festac, before you now start living around this area – Central Lagos. So, that was how I started. On that day I was called to Bar, I woke up 5am because I needed to meet up with the appointment at Victoria Island. So, I ‘entered’ a Molue, a Molue took me to Mile 2, from Mile 2 another Molue took me to Obalende, and from there I now entered Idowu Taylor – Law School. Then, you now come down at Law School Bus Stop. Men! These used to be my routes o! Just an aside. I have a dispatch boy who goes to dispatch correspondence and all that for me. So, when he comes these days and he brings a requisition that he wants to go to four places – to Oshodi, this and that to drop letters. When I look at the requisition, I will say keep quiet, I know these areas. I will tell him, from here to Guardian, Charity; from Charity to Hassan, Hassan to that and he will say oga, oga, you too know sef. And I will say my friend, cut down this requisition (Laughs).
So, how do you feel today about all these things the Lord has brought your way?
I’m still hustling (General laughter). I don’t know why you are talking like this o! You are talking as if I have arrived when I’m still on the road. Please, don’t disrupt my destiny.
What are your likes and dislikes?
I just hate people who carry themselves with some airs around them as if they are not human beings. Once you realise that we are all mortals and death is a leveler and that one day we shall all be leveled, once you realise that, you will not have the urge to ride roughshod over others or feel that you are superior to others. Those who forget where they are coming from, they are the ones who fall and fall flat in life. At every point in time, you must remember where you are coming from and by so doing you can empathise with those who are still behind; you can offer them a hand. So, I hate people generally who feel they are superior to others. I hate them.
Why do you think some people see you as a noise maker in spite of all you have achieved?
I apologise to them that I cannot change. I must continue to make noise. That’s my nature. But the point is that if you don’t want to make noise, then go to your bedroom and sit down. Why are you now coming out of your house to listen to the other person making noise? Or when you see him making noise on Channel 5, tune to Channel 7 and those people who like the noise, let them listen to Channel 5. Abi? You don’t have to really listen to the noise, because I didn’t come to your door step.
People say you make too much noise at the beginning of your cases, but they don’t know what eventually become their outcome?
What they need to do is to come to the court to follow up. At times, the blame is on the doorstep of the press. The press at times, with apologies o! Some of them get compromised, they don’t want to follow the case again; some of them, they get carried away with other things and I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Some things will hug the headlines, then after some time, the press gets disinterested. But the case is still going on well. I will give you an example – Police Equipment Fund with Kenny Martins that I started pursing. The N7.74 billion fraud. That case is still in court. It’s at the Supreme Court now. We won at the Court of Appeal; the Court of Appeal said there’s evidence against him; they should go back and try him. Remember that case was always on the front burner at a point, but that case is still in court. We won! I won at the Court of Appeal! The case of Bode George, for example, that I won at the High Court, the Court of Appeal, it’s at the Supreme Court now. Nobody is talking about it, but the case is on. So, it’s just that the press at times, they lose interest.
The other thing they complain is the issue of your marriage break up. Why did your marriage break up?
Ah-ah! Nooo! Nobody can complain about that now! Abeg, if you are complaining about that, marry the girl and see how it is. How can you complain about my marriage? If you are complaining, then marry the girl (General laughter). How can you complain about my marriage, is it your business? So, I must stay with her? When marriages are failing every day. Ah-ah! Nooo! That’s no complain at all. If you feel that it shouldn’t fail, then marry the girl and leave me alone. Mandela has gone through three marriages. Nelson Mandela! The great Mandela (Stresses it) has gone through three marriages; who am I not to go through any? If it didn’t work, e no work. Ah-ah! So, if e no work, e no work.
It is the dream of most lawyers to become Senior Advocates of Nigeria, are you also aspiring to be one?
If at a particular time I feel like pushing for it, I will push for it. But it’s not an obsession. It’s just that some people take it as an obsession. And why they take it as an obsession, I don’t know, because really, it doesn’t prevent me from practicing my law. People think that when you become a Senior Advocate, you now have better arguments or better rights as a lawyer. No! It’s just a title like chief. It’s like people living in a village, one person is now chief, one person is not chief. What difference does it make? It’s just a title. So, it will not put an obsession in me. But people take it as an obsession. That is where it’s despicable. When you just feel like pushing for it, push for it and on merit, if you are deserving of it, why not. If you don’t deserve it or if they think you don’t deserve it, you move on with your life.
So, when are you going to apply?
I will make it known; I will make it known to all.