60th anniversary: Did I act improperly that day 20 years ago?, By Yusuph Olaniyonu

As I approach my 60th birthday, my tradition is to share significant life stories. This year, my thoughts turned to an event shortly after my 40th birthday in 2006, an incident that has been on my conscience, especially with the recent Call-to-Bar ceremonies for new lawyers in Abuja.

It was August 2006 at the Nigerian Law School campus in Lagos. I was one of thousands of aspirants preparing for the Civil Law Procedure exam, a notoriously extensive course. It was nearing midnight, and I was deeply engrossed in my studies in a reading room. I was staying off-campus in a hotel arranged by my friend, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi.

Suddenly, a young man approached me, asking if I owned a Hyundai Sonata parked outside. He explained that a fellow student was in labor and needed urgent transport to the hospital. Confused at first, I quickly gathered my books when he stressed the emergency. I drove the expectant mother and her companions to the Military Hospital, a destination I only learned after starting the journey.