Abdulganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi (1938 – 2009)
Lawyer & Civil Rights Activist
Abdulganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi, better known as Gani Fawehinmi, was born in Ondo and attended Ansar-ud-Deen Primary School Ondo and Victory College Ikare. He pursued his law degree as an external student of the University of London. In 1965, he established his own legal practice in Lagos, which rapidly grew into one of the largest law firms in Nigeria. His legal library is reputed to hold over 300,000 volumes, and he also founded Nigeria’s first law publishing house.
Gani Fawehinmi was a tireless advocate for students, the poor, the oppressed, the persecuted, and the ignored. In 1986, while serving as Dele Giwa’s lawyer, Giwa was killed in a bomb blast under suspicious circumstances. Gani’s activism led to numerous arrests, detentions, and court charges. His international passport was seized multiple times, and his residence and chambers were frequently searched. He endured repeated beatings and was deported from one part of the country to another to prevent him from effectively reaching the masses among whom he was popular.
His books were confiscated by the Federal Military Government, and his library in Surulere, Lagos, was set ablaze. His law chambers in Anthony Village, Lagos State, were invaded by suspected government agents, resulting in the shooting and serious wounding of two guards. His supporters have called him “the scourge of irresponsible governments, a sphygmomanometer with which the blood pressure of dictators is gauged, the veritable conscience of the nation, and the champion of the interests and causes of the masses.”
In 1993, Gani received the Bruno Kreisky Award for Human Rights, and in 1998, the International Bar Association awarded him the ‘Bernard Simmons Award’ in recognition of his human rights and pro-democracy work. He was well known for his philanthropy and scholarship schemes.
Gani Fawehinmi passed away in the early hours of September 5, 2009, after a prolonged battle with lung cancer. He was 71 years old. He was buried on September 15, 2009, in his hometown of Ondo City, Nigeria.
