A prominent lawyer and journalist, Mr. Richard Akinnola has debunked the allegation by former Deputy Director of the State Security Service, Brigadier-General Kunle Togun (rtd.) that renowned civil rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi supported the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari (31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985) because of the favours he got from the regime that was regarded as draconian.
Fawehinmi died on 5 September 2009 a prolonged battle with lung cancer. He was 71 years old.
Last week, Togun said in a podcast interview with journalist, Edmund Obilo that Fawehinmi supported Buhari military regime, and ignored the instruction of the Nigerian Bar Association not to appear before that administration’s Special Military Tribunals because of the patronage from the Buhari regime.
In the podcast, Togun alleged: ‘There is this patronage (to Fawehinmi), it has to do with New York. And the money were in (United States) dollars. Before the thing materialised, Babangida took over’. General Ibrahim Babangida overthrew the Buhari military regime on 27 August 1985.
Togun alleged that Fawehinmi was vehemently against the Babangida regime because he was pained that the coup, which overthrew Buhari, scuttled the latter’s business favour to the famous lawyer, which was in the works before military coup of 31 December 1983. He alleged that Fawehinmi was supporting the Buhari regime, particularly on the trial of politicians for corruption by military tribunal.
Akinnola, one of Fawehinmi’s closest associates, described Togun’s account as ‘pure fiction’, adding: ‘Gani was NEVER a businessman. He was into three things: He practiced Law, he wrote Law and he published Law. He never sought for, nor received any government patronage. There was no way the General Babangida we all knew would have this sort of information on Gani and never used it for the eight years that Gani became a thorn in his flesh’.
On the support for the Buhari regime’s trial of the Second Republic politicians at a Special Military Tribunal, Akinnola said: ‘There was no doubt that Gani supported General Buhari’s war on corruption with the setting up of the Recovery of Public property (Special Military Tribunals) Decree 3 of 1984, which pitted him against the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). While it is true that Gani supported the Buhari junta on the trial of politicians and former public officers, his support was not blanket. He squared up with Buhari when it came to matter of rule of law and disobedience to court orders. One example would suffice’.
The full text of Akinnola’s statement:
‘My attention has been drawn to an interview granted by Brigadier-General Kunle Togun(rtd.), a former Deputy Director of State Security Service, to Edmund Obilo podcast, wherein he made some egregious, insidious, insensate and fallacious allegation against Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN (of blessed memory).
Togun was one of the two security chiefs of General Ibrahim Babangida who Gani Fawehinmi accused of killing by parcel bomb, Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch. While Brigadier Togun is at liberty to defend himself in the podcast over the allegation, which is understandable, he however, doesn’t have that liberty to lie against Gani Fawehinmi.
‘He said that Gani was so much against the Babangida regime because he was pained that the Babangida’s coup which overthrew the General (Muhammadu) Buhari, scuttled Buhari’s business favour to Gani, which was in the works before Buhari was overthrown. He said Gani was supporting the Buhari regime, particularly on the trial of politicians for corruption by military tribunal. There was no doubt that Gani supported General Buhari’s war on corruption with the setting up of the Recovery of Public property (Special Military Tribunals) Decree 3 of 1984, which pitted him against the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). While it is true that Gani supported the Buhari junta on the trial of politicians and former public officers, his support was not blanket. He squared up with Buhari when it came to matter of rule of law and disobedience to court orders. One example would suffice.
‘Following the fire incident at NET building, one of the fire fighters, Saidu Garba was interdicted. He briefed Gani and his interdiction was challenged. The matter came before Justice Yaya Jinadu. The judge gave series of orders for his reinstatement, which were disdainfully flouted by the government. It became a major face-off between the judge and the Buhari junta. At that critical moment, the judge couldn’t get the support of his Chief Judge, (Justice Joseph Adetunji) Adefarasin and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, (Justice) Sodeinde Sowemimo. As a matter of fact, Sowemimo, as Chairman of the Advisory Judicial Council (as National Judicial Council, NJC was then known), directed Justice Jinadu to apologise to the Buhari government. Gani was livid and severely attacked the Buhari junta. Justice Jinadu resigned, rather than apologise to the executive.
‘In my law column in the Vanguard, l ran two instalments on the saga. Gani called me and said the issues were too important and fundamental to be consigned to just my column. He suggested l wrote a book on the saga. That was how my first book — Salute to Courage, published by Gani’s Nigerian Law Publications Limited — came into being.
‘I gave this background to show Brigadier Togun that Gani was not just a rabid supporter of Buhari regime but of his anti-corruption crusade, the same way he gave a near-fanatical support to Nuhu Ribadu as EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) Chairman. It’s on record that Gani turned down every brief against the EFCC. So, it was a blatant lie that Buhari was processing a financial favour for Gani before he was toppled by Babangida.
‘To use Togun’s words: ‘There is this patronage, it has to do with New York. And the money were in (United States) dollars. Before the thing materialised, Babangida took over”. This is pure fiction. Gani was NEVER a businessman. He was into three things: He practiced Law, he wrote Law and he published Law. He never sought for, nor received any government patronage. There was no way the General Babangida we all knew would have this sort of information on Gani and never used it for the eight years that Gani became a thorn in his flesh.
‘This is the same Babangida, who, on three different occasions, in interviews, stated that the only genuine critic he respected was Gani Fawehinmi. He stated this in a TELL interview.
In the TELL magazine edition of 24 July 1995 at pages 9-20 titled “l am the Evil Genius”, Babangida said: “If there is one man l respect, it is Gani. It sounds strange. l appreciate you that you have a strong conviction and fight for it consistently. This is the context in which l see Gani. He was a dogged fighter and l respect him for this. In fact, there are three of them l respect like that. They are Gani, late (Professor) Awojobi and Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman. None of them says anything without doing his homework first”.
‘General Babangida, also in a Voice of Nigeria Hausa Service interview, which was widely reported on 24 October 2000, said “Only Gani Fawehinmi and Colonel Dangiwa Umar are the only true, principled fighters of 12 June. Others are sycophants who fed fat on 12 June 12”.
‘So, l ask Brigadier Togun: would his boss, General Babangida have such damaging information about Gani and still make these statements about him and not release such so-called transaction, which Babangida allegedly stopped when he took over from Buhari? To Brigadier Togun, yes, you may be pained that Gani fought you and Brigadier Haliru Akilu over the parcel bomb assassination of Dele Giwa, but while some of us, Gani associates are still alive, to keep quiet over this egregious lie against Gani is a sin.
‘May l also inform you that Gani Fawehinmi NEVER met Buhari throughout Buhari’s tenure as Head of State from 31 December 1983 to 26 August 1985. The first time Gani ever set eyes on General Muhammadu Buhari was on Friday, 5 September 2003 at Ondo Central Mosque during the burial of Alhaja, Gani’s mum.
‘Perhaps, it is necessary to mention another lie akin to the one made by Togun. This time, by Gani’s erstwhile bosom friend, Dr. Olu Onagoruwa. Over the years, particularly during the Babangida junta, Gani and Onagoruwa were best of friends. As a matter fact, during those days, conscious that his land phone would have been bugged, Gani and Onagoruwa made it a passion to be calling each other on the phone at about 1 – 2am most days, abusing and cursing the Babangida regime. When Gani’s battle for Dele Giwa started in 1986 and Gani wrote his first Will, Onagoruwa was one the executors of the Will. That was how close they were.
‘However, upon the General Sani Abacha coup, which toppled the (Ernest) Shonekan’s interim government, Lt-General (Oladipo) Diya emerged as the Chief of General Staff. Diya and Onagoruwa hailed from Odogbolu in Ogun State. Through the Odogbolu connection, Onagoruwa was offered the position of Attorney General in Abacha’s government. Gani vehemently dissuaded him not to accept. Onagoruwa was interested and he accepted. That was the parting of ways between the two friends. Gani updated his Will and removed Onagoruwa as an executor. He appointed First Trustees as the executors of his new and last Will and Testament.
‘It turned out that Gani’s prognosis concerning Onagoruwa was correct. Over time, Onagoruwa fell out with Abacha and resigned and according to him, to get back at him, the government agents assassinated his son, Toyin. He was devastated and suffered stroke. Onagoruwa was later to write a book about his experience in Abacha government titled, A Rebel in Abacha Government. In the book, he lied against his former friend, Gani Fawehinmi. In order to get back at him, just like Togun with his fairy tales, he lied that it was Buhari who bought Gani’s flat for him in London. Gani was livid about this blatant lie and he replied with another book titled, The Lies and Lies of Dr. Olu Onagoruwa. In the book, Gani stated that he bought the London flat in 1980, four years before Buhari came to office, adding that Dr Onagoruwa’s wife visited him in the flat in 1981. Gani wrote:
Property in London
“I did not buy any house or any landed property of any description or of any type in London between 1983 and 1985, either from January 1983 when there was no Buhari military administration or from 31st December to 26th August, 1985… To this extent, the allegation of Dr. Olu Onagoruwa in his book that l was assisted by the Buhari military administration to by a house in London is grievously false, disgracefully perverted, ignominiously infantile and spuriously demented. It is untrue because it is false.
1. In 1980, 26 years ago, and four years before Buhari military administration came to power, I bought an apartment in Croydon, London. It was 15 Willow Mount. The firm of Solicitors that represented me in the purchase of the property in 1980 was-
HOLMAN FENWICK & WILLAN
MARLOW HOUSE
LLOYDS AVENUE
LONDON EC 3N 3AL
Their Telephone Number is 0207 488 2300.Their Fax Number is 0207 481 0316.
Please note that this firm of solicitors still exists in the same address and its current telephone and fax numbers are as stated above.
2. This small property has since been sold by me.
3. Dr. Olu Onagoruwa’s wife, Mrs. Titi Onagoruwa and her children visited my wife (Mrs. Ganiat Bukun Fawehinmi) and myself in this property in 1981. She wore a red skirt and blouse. That was three years before Buhari’s military administration came to power. It is therefore surprising that Olu Onagoruwa could concoct a horrible falsehood as he shamelessly did in his book.
4. On Monday, 17th August, 1981, a prominent Barrister, who is also a traditional ruler, the Owa-Ale of Ikare, Oba S.K.A. Adedoyin, in company of Primate Gabriel Oladunni visited me in the same property to brief me on the case involving the traditional status of Oba Owa-Ale of Ikare. I later handled that case in Nigeria after the visit and won same in a judgement delivered on Thursday, 8th July,1982. The case is reported in (1983) 4 NCLR 786.
5. The only property I have in London today is a one bedroom flat as Flat 20,Maybourne
Grange,Turnpike Link, East Croydon,Surrey,Post Code CRO 5NH. Their Fax No is 0208-686-4516.
6. I completed the purchase of this property on 2nd October, 1981 through a company called Wates. The full address of that company is-
WATES RESIDENTIAL SALES AND
LETTING ESTATE AGENTS
52 CHICHESTER ROAD
PARK HILL,CROYDON
SURREY
Their current Telephone number is 0208-680-2422 while their Post Code is CRO 5NB.
7. I have had this flat since 1981 till today, December 2006, a period of 25 years. Whenever I go to London, I stay there. I also use the place as my overseas contact address. I have no other property of any description or of any type in England or any other place in the world outside Nigeria.
8. I bought this Flat for £38,500.00 (Thirty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Pounds Sterling) in 1981.
9. From the facts stated above, this property was bought more than two years before General Buhari administration came to power on Sunday, 1st January 1984.
10 Anybody who wants to check the authenticity or the truthfulness of the facts I have stated above can contact the addresses listed above.
“In addition, investigation can be conducted in the appropriate Land Registry in England. The London telephone number of the appropriate Land Registry is 02082082351181. If you are phoning from Nigeria,you dial 009-44-2082351181. If you are still not satisfied, you can engage the services of a solicitor to make the enquiries in the appropriate Land Registry in England”.
‘I went this extent to quote Gani in extenso in order to put issues in proper perspective when lies are being retailed as done by Brigadier Togun in his said interview.
‘Another lie told by Brigadier Togun in the interview was to the effect that Gani Fawehinmi paid the damages awarded against him by the court for defamation against Togun and Akilu. When asked by his interviewer how much Gani paid, he said he couldn’t remember. Is it possible for you to be paid some millions of Naira and you couldn’t remember?
‘The truth is that Gani didn’t pay any damages. Let me help Brigadier Togun. The court awarded N6 million as damages to him and Akilu for defamation, that is, N3 million apiece. But Gani challenged the decision at the appellate court. Except l check my records, l can’t say precisely now what happened to the matter at the appellate courts.
‘These clarifications and rebuttals are necessary because some of us cannot be alive and keep quiet when blatant lies are being peddled against Gani Fawehinmi’.
E-Signed
Richard Akinnola
(A friend and associate of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN)
Tuesday, 11 February 2025
