Founder

GANIYU OYESOLA FAWEHINMI, or GANI, as he later became fondly known, was born on Friday, 22nd April, 1938 in Ondo town, Ondo State. His father was Chief Seriki Saheed Tugbobo Fawehinmi.  His mother was Chief (Alhaja) Munirat Ajimo Fawehinmi (nee Akinnibosun).

For his formal education, GANI attended Ansar-Ud-Deen primary school, Iyemaja in Ondo (1947 – 1953); Victory College, Ikare (1954 – 1958); Holborn College of Law (University of London) (1961 – 1964) where he bagged the LL.B. degree and the Nigerian Law School, Lagos (1964 – 1965) after which he was called to the Nigerian Bar in January 15, 1965 as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Prior to his sojourn in the United Kingdom, he had a brief stint as a court clerk at the High Court of Lagos. This probably fueled his interest in the law profession. Upon his qualification as a barrister and solicitor, he worked briefly in the chambers of his brother, Rasheed Fawehinmi, from January to April, 1965.  Thereafter, he set up his private legal practice at Gani Fawehinmi Chambers.

Through GANI’s brilliance and his legendary penchant for hard work and doggedness, Gani Fawehinmi Chambers grew to become one of the biggest in Nigeria, and indeed in the British Commonwealth.  Prior to its winding up upon his demise in 2009, the Chambers handled more than 6,000 (six thousand) cases; and between 1965 and 2009, it trained over 500 (five hundred) lawyers from all parts of Nigeria and abroad.

As an advocate, GANI contributed immensely to the development of many aspects of Nigerian law, and left an indellible mark.

Some major landmark cases which have become locus classicus  which Chief Gani Fawehinmi  argued are:

1. Adesanya v. President, Federal Republic of Nigeria (1981) 2 NCLR 358 (on locus standi and constitutional law)
2. Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee v. Fawehinmi (1985) 2 NWLR (Pt.7) 300 (on application of the principles of natural justice and real likelihood of bias)
3. Garba v. University of Maiduguri (1986) 1 NWLR (Pt.18) 550 (on the relationship of University students and their University as being statutory and not contractual and that offences against the laws of the land fall outside the jurisdiction of the Visitor and the Vice-Chancellor)
4. Fawehinmi v. Colonel Halilu Akilu & Lt. Col. A. K. Togun (1987) 4 NWLR (Pt.67) 797 (on the murder of Dele Giwa and issues of mandamus, locus standi in criminal matters and right of private prosecution)
5. Garba v. Federal Civil Service Commision (1988) 1 NWLR (Pt.71) 449 (on construction of Military Decrees and statutes which take away the rights of citizens)
6. Fawehinmi v. Nigerian Bar Association (No. 1) (1989) 2 NWLR (Pt.105) 494 (On appearance of a legal practitioner as a litigant and representing another person)
7. Fawehinmi v. Nigerian Bar Association (No. 2) (1989) 2 NWLR (Pt.105) 558 (On whether the Nigerian Bar Association is a juristic person capable of suing and of being sued in its name)
8. Tukur v. Government of Gongola State (1989) 4 NWLR (Pt.117) 517 (On Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to enforce fundamental rights)
9. Fawehinmi v. State (1990) 5 NWLR (Pt.148) 42 (On basis of power of court to punish for contempt and the procedure for punishment for contempt of court. This judgment quashed the imprisonment of Chief Gani Fawehinmi for contempt of court by Hon. Justice Ligali Ayorinde in 1990 in a case which arose from the murder of Dele Giwa)
10. Abacha v. Fawehinmi (2000) 6 NWLR (Pt.660) 228 (On status and applicability of the African Charter in Nigeria)
11. Fawehinmi v. Inspector-General of Police (2002) 7 NWLR (Pt.767) 606 (On scope of immunity of the President, Vice President, Governor and Deputy Governor under Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and whether the immunity covers investigation of above named public officers. The Supreme Court on Friday, 10th May, 2002 held that the immunity in Section 308 of the Constitution does not extend to cover investigation; that the President, Vice-President, Governor and Deputy-Governor could be investigated while still in office)
12. INEC v. Musa (2003) 3 NWLR (Pt.806) 72 (This case widened the political landscape of Nigeria and laid down the law that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was without the power to refuse to register an association as a political party outside the criteria set out in the Constitution. Consequently, INEC announced the registration of twenty-four (24) additional political parties, culminating in Nigeria having an unprecedented number of thirty (30) political parties consisting the general elections in 2003)
13. Fawehinmi v. President, Federal Republic of Nigeria (2007) 14 NWLR (Pt.1054) 275 (The case challenged the infraction of the law by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in paying salaries of some Ministers in dollars. On Friday, 20th July, 2007, the Court of Appeal held that Chief Gani Fawehinmi had the Locus Standi to institute the action and that the Minister of Finance, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olufemi Adeniji should refund the money they earned in excess of their prescribed salaries)

The practice of law was just an aspect of the life of this great icon.  He took a sincere look at the state of law reporting in Nigeria and decided to break the monopoly of a few legal practitioners who had exclusive access to current judgments of the appellate courts and therefore had an unfair advantage over their professional colleagues in court.  Thus was born the Nigerian Weekly Law Reports on 1st October, 1985, which blazed the trail of modern law reporting in Nigeria, and the longest lasting Law Reports in Nigeria, and Africa.

GANI wrote and produced many other books, law reports and monographs, most of which became indispensable tools of legal knowledge in the hands of legal practitioners.

GANI transcended the legal profession like a colossus.  His impact on other issues of human endeavour and on people who had the fortune to meet him was equally huge.  He was at once a human rights crusader, philanthropist, unrelenting defender and friend of the poor, the oppressed, the disabled, physically challenged; an unflinching ally of students and their causes, of labour unions and of the press and press freedom.

In fact, he was proclaimed the ‘god-father’ and patron of Nigerian students.  He opened his Chambers to all Nigerian students and provided free legal services in all cases concerning students anywhere and everywhere in Nigeria.

GANI’s scholarship scheme and crusade for free education are embodied in the Gani Fawehinmi Yearly Scholarship Awards: from 1971 till date, he awarded scholarships annually to indigent students to enable them pursue University or other higher education dreams.  He also instituted the Alhaja Munirat Fawehinmi Scholarship Awards in 2003. He ensured that the yearly scholarship scheme survived him as he inscribed it in his Will.

For his unwavered commitment to the enthronement of rule of law and entrenchment of democratic governance in Nigeria for which he openly canvassed and criticised successive military juntas, GANI was subjected to all forms of harrasments, persecutions, abuses and vilifications by  security agencies.  He was locked up 32 (thirty-two) times in police and security cells, and detained in 8 (eight) prisons by various military governments from 1969 to 1996. His international passport was seized more than 10 (ten) times at various periods by security agents of successive governments between 1969 and 1995.  His Law Chambers and residence were illegally searched on not less than 16 (sixteen) times by security agents of Government from 1969 to 1998.

GANI’s numerous contributions to the legal profession and upliftment of humanity and his society in general did not all go unnoticed. He was bestowed with numerous awards, recognitions and laurels so that at the time of his death he was a recipient of 11 (eleven) International awards; 88 (eighty-eight) National awards; 13 (thirteen) ‘Man of the Year’ awards; 1 (one) ‘Man of the Century’ Award”; 1 (one) ‘Controversial Lawyer of the Millennium’ award”; ‘Senior Advocate of Nigeria’(SAN); Doctor of Laws award(LL.D); Doctor of Letters Award(D.Litt.) and Thisday ‘Life Achievement.’  His international awards included: Membership Award ‘Ghandi Foundation’ in 1971; ‘Award for Devotion and Sacrifices to the Cause of Building Understanding, Unity and Progress among the Ondos’ by the Ondo Progressive Students’ Union, Washington, D. C.  in July 1977; The ‘Bruno Kriesky’ award by the Government of Austria, on June 11, 1993 for his contributions to the defence of Human Rights; ‘Award for Human Rights’ in 1996 by the American Bar Association; ‘Nigerian Masses Award’ by the Nigerian Community Abroad, United Kingdom, on 14 June 1997; ‘Bernard Simons Memorial Award’ by the International Bar Association (IBA) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the rule of law in Nigeria in 1998; ‘Recognition Resolution’ of 1998 bestowed on him by the Council of the District of Columbia; ‘Recognition for Conscientious Stand and Support for Democracy and Human Rights Award’  by the United Committee to Save Nigeria, Brooklyn, New York on Saturday April 24, 1999; ‘Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Africa Leadership Award’ in Recognition of his track record of outstanding Leadership Qualities by the West Africa International Magazine on September 5, 2003; ‘Lifetime Human Rights Award’ by the Nigerian Association of Southern California, Pomona, California.

Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who never smoked all his life, died on Sunday 5^th September, 2009 of lung cancer. The disease was probably attributable to the long years he suffered in several debilitating detention facilities. He is survived by wives and children, and HIS LEGACY.