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My Tribute To Bamidele Aturu By Khomeini Bukhari

July 10, 2014

Watching him and being with him taught me a lot, he wasn't into fame and fortune, he was all about doing the right thing, In fact, he used to shy away from the media as much as he could. His main aim was to do the right thing and get the job done in the right way. He never did things to be noticed but to simply defend the innocent, and that was one of his ways of serving God.

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My dearest personal person has passed on, and I know he is in heaven right now. I have known him since 2012, I first knew him as I consulted him for a legal matter but as time went on and very quickly we became family. Sir was a special man, anything he spoke about was what he believed. He was not a human rights lawyer and activist on the face of it and something else indoors, he was exactly what he portrayed himself to be. He was humble, caring, loving, down to earth, God fearing and a real family man.

Watching him and being with him taught me a lot, he wasn't into fame and fortune, he was all about doing the right thing, In fact, he used to shy away from the media as much as he could. His main aim was to do the right thing and get the job done in the right way. He never did things to be noticed but to simply defend the innocent, and that was one of his ways of serving God. He lived for God and for the people of Nigeria. He wasn't looking for contracts or big money, all he cared about was his integrity and dignity and doing the right thing. ‎When writing this article, I am doing so from knowing him personally, I feel highly blessed to have known him personally. I am writing this as I want Nigerians that have never known him to know that when a man like him passes away it means one more general in the army of Nigeria's progress has gone, and he was no ordinary general, he is what I call a field Marshall, and I'm sure God feels the same way. I was so close to him that we used to speak every few days, and I used to call him or send a message to him via text or BBM checking if he is ok and pray for him and his family, and he used to pray for me too and our communication increased when I read about dangerous incidents occurring such as the latest one in Abuja being the Wuse 2 one.

The last time I saw Sir was when he invited me to Nigeria, I stayed with him for twelve days in June and whilst in Lagos he took care of me as one would do his own child, always worried about me when I left the house and very happy when I home knew I'm safe. Sir took me everywhere with him, and everywhere we went after he finished what he had to do, he told me that we must go home as he misses his wife and children. We also went to Redeemed church vigil at Redeemed camp on 6th June 2014 and then as soon as we got back to Lagos we went to Bring Back Our Girls campaign together in Marina, Lagos on 7th June 2014. 

In regards to Sir being unwell, he has told me about this since March 2014, all this while I took it lightly not knowing how serious it was, I thought it was a flu and it will fade away as flus have their cycles and some people get it more than others but never did I think it will lead to death. The news of Sirs death has cut me in the deepest part of my heart, and I'm sure anyone that knows him as I do will feel the same way. He was no ordinary type of man, and that's why I'm sure when I say he is in heaven I have no doubt that when God took him from us that he must have sent him to heaven first class.

I would like to end my tribute by saying something to Sir as I never got a chance to say goodbye to him before he parted from this world: 

"RIP Sir. I love you and will always love you and will never forget you. You were a true example to mankind. Sir, you are my best friend, and I always looked at you as my Nigerian father even though you always humbled yourself to call me your brother. My heart bleeds now that you are gone, and words cannot express how I am feeling right now. From knowing you personally, I know you are in heaven right now. May your soul rest in peace". 

-Khomeini Bukhari

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