Eminent Nigerian lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, has died in Lag os, aged 71. According to reports reaching PANA, Fawehinmi, died in the early hours of 5 Sept ember, 2009, after a prolonged struggle with cancer.
He was a well celebrated human rights lawyer, author and social critic.
Fawehinmi, popularly called Gani, was born on 22 April 1938, into the Fawehinmi family of Ondo, in South West Ondo State.
Gani had his early education from 1947 to 1953 and his secondary school education from 1954 to 1958.
Gani enrolled at the Holborn College of Law – University of London – to read law in 1961. He completed his degree with a measure of difficulty due to lack of funds.
In 1993, Fawehinmi was awarded the biennial Bruno Kreisky Prize. This prize, named in honour of Bruno Kreisky, is awarded to international figures who advance human rights causes.
In 1998, he received the International Bar Association’s Bernard Simmons Award in recognition of his human-rights and pro-democracy work.
In 1994, he and some other notable Nigerians formed the National Conscience Party of Nigeria which exists till today and he stood for a presidential election in 2003 under the umbrella of the National Conscience Party.
Fawehinmi became a holder of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the highest legal title in Nigeria, although the award was delayed for some years to victimise him.
With his boundless energy, he tenaciously and uncompromisingly pursued his beliefs, principles and ideals for the rule of law, undiluted democracy, all embracing and expansive social justice, protection of fundamental human rights and respect for the hopes and aspirations of the masses who are victims of misgovernance of the affairs of the Nation.
As a result of his activities, Fawehinmi was arrested, detained, charged to court several times.
In the process of his crusades for the rule of law, the hopes and aspirations of the poor and the oppressed, he fought many battles against the military dictatorship as a result of which he was dumped in many police cells and detained in several prisons between 1969 and 1996.
In 2008, Fawehinmi rejected the highest order that can be bestowed on a citizen by the Nigerian government – Order of the Federal Republic(OFR) – in protest against years of misrule.