12 Years after Fawehinmi’s Death, his Son, Mohammed Dies of Covid-19

12 Years after Fawehinmi’s Death, his Son, Mohammed Dies of Covid-19

Twelve years after a legal luminary of global reckoning, Chief Gani Fawehinmi passed, his scion, Mohammed, died last night of complications from Covid-19.

Mohammed reportedly died at a private hospital yesterday and the Minister of State for Niger Delta, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has confirmed the news.

Although some other sources claimed Mohammed died of an undisclosed ailment at a private hospital in Lagos, it was however confirmed he died of complications arising from Covid-19.

This news medium also has reasons to believe he might have died at a government facility in Lagos State.

But the family was yet to make a statement on his death as at the time of filing this report.

A reliable source at a government health facility, who confirmed he died of Covid-19 complications, told THISDAY that, “We have been managing him since morning, but unfortunately, he passed on. Yes, he died of Covid-19,” suggesting he died at a government hospital.

Keyamo, though confirmed the news without stating the cause and where he died, hadworked with the late Mohammed at the Fawehinmi chambers for many years.

In a statement, the junior minister lamented: “My brother, friend and son of my late boss, Mohammed Fawehinmi, is gone. I am speechless and heartbroken. I just spoke with the eldest daughter, Basirat and she confirmed it,” said Keyamo.

According to him, “Mohammed was energetic and very intellectually alert, despite his mishap. He kept the flame of his father burning. We will sorely miss him.”

Mohammed lost his ability to walk after a terrible auto accident in 2003. A graduate of Business Administration at the University of Lagos, before he ventured into law practice, he obtained an LLB degree from the University of Buckingham, England, and was called to Nigerian Bar in 1998. He has over 20 years of experience in the practice of law.

Until his death, he was the Head of Gani Fawehinmi’s Chambers, Director, Nigerian Law Publications Limited, Director, Books Industries Nigeria Limited and Director, Gani Fawehinmi Library & Gallery Limited.

Mohammed once described growing up under his father as a military camp. “It was like growing up in a military camp. He gave the order, and you must comply. You failed to do so and you got thoroughly punished. I particularly have been displaced with any sort of rod that you can imagine.

“Until the anger in him calmed, he would not stop punishing you. The only time you would offend my father and he let you walk away was whenever he sighted his mother. No matter your offence, he would not punish you once she was there. Being the first child, my father made sure he disciplined me the most.”

Mohammed’s greatest ambition was to be an army officer, a move that his father rejected.

“I wanted to become an army general. I had three uncles in the army. Two of them were captains while one was a major. I loved the uniform and personality of military men, being like them was just what I wanted for myself.

“When I was 14, we were given forms in school for the Nigerian Defence Academy. I hurriedly filled mine and took it to my father for him to sign; I never knew I had courted trouble. Till he died, I don’t think he had ever been that angry. He said I wanted to go and join the people that were throwing him in jail all the time. He said I wanted to join those,who wanted to kill him. He said it was better he killed me before I joined his enemies.

“It took four senior lawyers to hold him down that day. One of them was OAR Ogunde, a senior advocate, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, Mike Philips and one other person. I had to run away from the scene as fast as I could and managed to jump the fence before tearing the form. I thought he had forgotten about everything but I was surprised when he woke me up with the cane at about 2:30 am the next morning. He dealt with me thoroughly that day.

“Later in life, I wanted to become a business administrator even though the desire to become a military man never left me. When I went to England to study law after my first degree in Business Administration from the University of Lagos, I met a military general, who further aroused my interest in the profession.

“But immediately after I finished my studies, my father was on my neck to return to Nigeria to attend law school. For a while, that interest waned in me but whenever I come across a military cantonment and I see the way the officers move, I feel like being a part of them,” he said.

His father, Gani Fawehinmi, who was one of Nigeria’s most iconic legal minds, died on September 5, 2009.

In an interview he granted before his death, he said, “I just felt that I shouldn’t bother any woman with my condition. I didn’t want anybody to marry me out of pity. Even though I always have females around me, it is not every woman that can stay with a person with disability of my kind.

“Most of the women I have met in recent times are not the ones that can stay with a man, they are the type who would want to attend parties and keep all sorts of friends instead of looking after me. Of course, a few have come close to what I want but the temperament is nothing to write home about”.

Speaking about the challenge of practicing law while on a wheelchair, Mohammed said: I look at my ordeal as part of life’s ‘buffet’, just like it served my late father on several occasions. I feel I’m in a mini detention centre at the moment, but then, I’m positive that one day, I’ll be free. But I’m glad that I have been able to practice as a trained lawyer despite the tragedy that I’ve encountered in life.”

Meanwhile, a lawyer and rights activist, Dr Kayode Ajulo, has expressed sadness at the death of Mohammed Fawehinmi.

Ajulo described him as a comrade and brother who would be missed.

He said that Mohammed stayed on course until death.Ajulo prayed God to give succour to Mohammed’s family.

Also, The Centre for Human and Socioeconomic Rights, said demise of Mohammed Fawehinmi, was a terrible loss.

National President of the group, Mr. Alex Omotehinse, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while reacting to the death of the lawyer.

Omotehinse said the news was a rude shock.

“The fact remains that among the children of the late legal icon, Mohammed was the only one who identified with us and remained with us, despite the challenges he faced.

“Mohammed stood with us in the struggle to defend the masses.

“Now that he has again dropped the baton, a very big vacuum has been created,” he said.

According to him, the death of Mohammed Fawehinmi, implies that Gani Fawehinmi’s household may be finally missed in the activism circle.

He added: “It is only Mohammed that carried the mantle, despite his health challenges.

“When some of us see him, we believe Gani was still alive, because he was bold, spoke like his father, he was courageous and never looked at his challenges.

The rights activist recalled how civil society groups, alongside Mohammed, attended the burial of late Mr. Yinka Odumakin, another activist, who died recently.

He added that the late younger Fawehinmi, also joined them recently, during a courtesy visit to the residence of another late activist, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma .

Omotehinse said the death was a huge loss and very sad one, praying God to console the late Mohammed’s mother and family.