My first and last physical meeting with Late Barr. Abubakar Mujahid Abdullahi was in the plane, specifically, Azman flight to Kano after an NBA Conference in Lagos. Our flight which was supposed to be in the evening was delayed till late in the night and this gentleman called me by my name. He introduced himself to me as a friend on Facebook, whom as I later realised used to interact so much with my posts and articles.
I felt ashamed of myself for not recognizing him as he recognized me that day being a very senior lawyer. We discussed extensively till our flight landed in Kano around midnight amidst huge turbulence.
I was terribly disturbed on how to safely get to a hotel in that night and wasn’t willing to ask and inconvenience any of the lawyers in the flight many of whom I know because everyone was tired.
Mal Abubakar curiously asked me where I was heading to from the Kano airport or whether someone was coming to pick me and I answered that I was going to the hotel and he offered to take me there. I think he insisted on taking me to my preferred lodge while I refused and opted for Miyetti Guest in GRA which was closer to the airport. But for my instance for him to please leave, when he dropped he wanted to wait and see to it that I was able to get a room there before he leaves. Ya Allah!.
While airborne, we discussed about his job. He told me he worked with ITF and was, if my memory serves me right, transferred to Jos.
Coincidentally, I am conversant with Jos and we talked about how he was copping with the travels.
My stay in Lagos thought me an etiquette that when someone does something good to you today, you will need to thank him today and you will also thank him the next time you meet saying something like “thank you for yesterday”. For Mal Abubakar, it seems the other way round. He helped me the night before and he came to my inbox to know how my night was the next day.
Why do you think he doesn’t deserve more of these tears from many lives he had touched?
We kept in contact with him talking sparingly but we were never to meet again. I lost communication with him for a while. Unfortunately, I saw a post by Adnan Mukhtar soliciting prayers for his wellbeing and I placed a call immediately to Adnan to find out more.
I planned to visit him during my wedding in Kano but Adnan informed me he was already flown to Cairo for treatment.
Allah hasn’t destined our second meeting with Mal Mujahid but I pray Allah will unite our faces in Jannatul Firdaus again.
Hussaini Hussaini,
Abuja