Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has publicly mourned the passing of his dear childhood friend and brother, Prince Nazir Ado Ibrahim, a scion of the revered Royal House of the Attas in Ebiraland, Kogi State. In a deeply poignant tribute, Fani-Kayode recounted their sixty-year journey through life, describing the late Prince as a truly exceptional individual whose demise has profoundly affected him.
“My dearest brother, Prince Nazir Ado Ibrahim… has passed and it has hit me hard,” Fani-Kayode wrote, expressing the depth of his grief. He reflected on a shared, eventful, and rich childhood filled with remarkable experiences, lamenting the unfulfilled dream of growing old together and reminiscing about their youth. “I thought we would grow old together and share the memories of our childhood whilst in retirement… but alas you are gone! You were one in a million brother,” he stated, highlighting Nazir’s ability to bring smiles to everyone’s faces.
Their enduring bond was forged in various iconic locations, from the late Ohinoyi’s house, Atta Lodge in Yaba, Lagos, where they met friends in the late 1970s and early 1980s, to apartments in Chelsea, Brighton, and Belgravia in the United Kingdom. Fani-Kayode vividly recalled their youthful escapades at the Lagos Polo Club, Ikoyi Club, and Apapa Club, where they moved as a “fearsome and daring ‘gang’ of wild and adventurous friends.” He reminisced about shared boxing and karate lessons, praising Prince Nazir as a “great warrior and courageous fighter.”
The former minister also shared thrilling anecdotes, including a police raid at a friend’s house in Bourdillon, near the National Stadium in Lagos, where they fought “back to back and shoulder to shoulder” against assailants. He emphasized the unwavering loyalty and impenetrable bond they shared: “We never lost, brother, and they never had us down! That is what made our relationship so special. Nothing and no-one could come between us.” Their unique communication, Fani-Kayode revealed, involved “a strange language” and “code, and with our eyes,” as they “walked the dark side together” and survived “by the grace of God.”
Their shared adventures extended to learning horse riding and polo, and cruising the “rougher sides of old Lagos in flashy cars, whilst flexing our hard and crazy muscles.” Fani-Kayode detailed their spirited rivalries over girls, fights with both locals and expatriates, and the trivial squabbles that underscored the profound love within their “band of brothers.” He also recalled numerous controversies, joint punishments from their parents, and unforgettable nights at famous clubs like Legends, Tramp, Main Squeeze, and Monkberrys in London, and Studio 54 and Xenon in New York. A visit to Prince Nazir in Geneva, upstate New York, and a drive to meet their brother Des Braithwaite in Syracuse, also featured prominently in his memories.
Fani-Kayode humorously recalled owning Porsche 928S cars in the early 1980s and the amusement they derived from police officers questioning how they afforded such luxury at a young age. He listed a host of other friends who shared in their vibrant youth, including Azad (Nazir’s older brother), Des Braithwaite, Kunle Braithwaite, Tonye Amachree, Deremi Ajidahun, Layeni Fagbayi, Gbegi and Dapo Ojora, Oscar Ibru, Gregg Mbadiwe, Gbolahun Sanyaolu, Ade Adetona, and Ike Monu.
The bond deepened in the late 1980s when Fani-Kayode married Prince Nazir’s beautiful cousin, Saratu Atta, daughter of the late Governor Adamu Atta of the old Kwara State. He recalled Prince Nazir’s affectionate doting on their daughter, Folake, when she was a baby, likening their enduring love and loyalty to that of Achilles and Patrocholus. Despite not spending much time together in recent years, Fani-Kayode confessed that news of Nazir’s passing “something broke in me,” as he saw Prince Nazir as “the living symbol of my lost childhood and the rallying point and star of those of us who grew up with you and loved you.”
Fani-Kayode emphasized Prince Nazir’s unique role as a “bridge between the North and the South,” noting his fluency in Yoruba despite his noble Ebira Northern heritage and royal roots. He also highlighted Nazir’s ability to unite the children of the elite, whether schooled in England or Nigeria, during a time when “gang wars” existed between these groups at social gatherings and clubs. “Ours was a generation of love and brotherhood which cannot be matched or replaced,” he asserted, cherishing the era when “brotherhood meant something” and “loyalty was everything.” He proudly remembered their generation as tough, wealthy, strong, and fearless young Nigerian men who “rocked London, New York, Paris, Athens, Cannes, Marbella… and much of the world, without a care and with no apology.”
Acknowledging the transition to adulthood with its challenges and responsibilities, Fani-Kayode also reflected on the changes in Nigeria, where “the carefree days of joy and abundance for all came to an end, as the fortunes of our beloved Nigeria dwindled.” He prayed for better days for future generations.
Concluding his heartfelt eulogy, Fani-Kayode committed Prince Nazir to divine hands, praying for forgiveness of sins and eternal peace. “May your name never fade away or be forgotten and may your legacy, a great legacy built by your distinguished ancestors and forefathers, remain strong,” he prayed. He expressed profound longing for their fellowship, shared experiences, secrets, and the memory of their joint childhood, noting the “dwindling generation” to which they belonged. “We had our time and God was good to us… Now it is time for you to rest, brother,” he affirmed, asking Nazir to convey his love to their departed brothers. Fani-Kayode pledged to “NEVER forget you, whether in this world or the next,” wishing strength and protection upon Prince Nazir’s wife, children, and loved ones.
Femi Fani-Kayode’s distinguished career includes serving as a former Minister of Aviation, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, a former Senior Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Public Affairs, an Ambassador-designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, the Aare Ajagunla of Otun Ekiti, the Otunba of Joga Orile, and a legal practitioner.
Originally sourced from Premium Times. This article has been rewritten for our readers.
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