The story of my efforts to befriend Gani Fawehinmi – Babangida

Ibrahim Babangida, the former military head of state, expressed his efforts to establish a friendship with Gani Fawehinmi, the late human rights lawyer, during an interview on the Channels Television programme called Inside Sources.

Babangida, who governed Nigeria as military president from 1985 to 1993, acknowledged Fawehinmi as a valuable critic and highly regarded his opinions on national matters.

He emphasized that he would often seek Fawehinmi’s perspective on policies and considered him a friend. Despite being perceived by the public as an “evil genius,” Babangida mentioned that Fawehinmi did not want to associate himself with someone who had such a reputation. Fawehinmi, known for his unwavering activism for human rights, faced imprisonment under various military regimes.

He passed away on September 5, 2009, at the age of 71. In 2008, he declined the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) award in protest against the prevailing governance issues in Nigeria. However, in 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari posthumously honored Fawehinmi with the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON), the country’s second-highest national honor.