Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has described the late Mohammed Fawehinmi, who died on Wednesday, as a passionate human rights activist.
Sanwo-Olu, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Gboyega Akosile, on Thursday commiserated with the family and friends of the deceased.
Mohammed was the eldest son of the late legal luminary and human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
The deceased was said to have complained of breathing difficulty on Wednesday morning and was rushed to an undisclosed hospital, where he died.
The governor described his death as a colossal loss to the civil society movement in Nigeria.
He said like his father, the late Mohammed Fawehinmi stayed the course with his persistent fight for the rights of the Nigerian people.
Sanwo-Olu added that the late activist did not live under the shadows of his father, as he had grown to become a dependable comrade.
He commiserated with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and the entire people of the state on the demise of their illustrious son.
“It is with a deep sense of sorrow that I commiserate with the family, friends and associates of the late Mohammed Fawehinmi. He was undoubtedly a great Nigerian, passionate human rights activist and champion of a true Nigeria.
“On behalf of my family and the people of Lagos State, I express my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, associates and members of the Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria.
“I pray that God will grant Mohammed Fawehinmi eternal rest and give the immediate family and friends the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Meanwhile, Some lawyers on Thursday said that the late Fawehinmi would be greatly missed by the human rights community.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, a constitutional lawyer and president, Voters Awareness Initiative (VAI), Mr Wale Ogunade, described the late Mohammed as the patriarch of the Fawehinmi family.
Ogunade noted that the deceased was very supportive of human rights causes.
“In spite of his status as somebody who is always on the wheelchair, he made sure that he attended every programme that had to do with good governance, democracy and the rule of law, particularly promoting justice for all.
“He too, like his father, put his life on the line during the Save Nigeria Project which was a success.
“It is unfortunate that we lost him at his prime. May his revolutionary spirit rest in peace,” Ogunade said.
Also speaking, the president of the African Bar Association (AFBA), Mr Hannibal Uwaifo, described Mohammed’s demise as a very said event.
The AFBA president noted that though Mohammed was not as active as his late father in human rights advocacy due to some physical constraints, the human rights community will still miss him.
“In spite of his passing, the name of the Fawehinmi family will remain in gold in the history of the legal profession in Nigeria,” Uwaifo said.
Also, Mr Ademola Adewale, a lawyer and public affairs analyst said that late Mohammed had made efforts to preserve the legacy of his father both in legal practice and the fight for equal rights.
“He will be missed by a lot of human rights bodies like the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) and the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA),” Adewale said.
Mohammed graduated from the University of Lagos with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1991.
He obtained an LLB degree from the University of Buckingham, England and was called to Nigerian Bar in 1998.
The late Mohammed had over 20 years experience in the practice of law.
NAN
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