The family of the late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), has rejected an award meant for the iconic advocate in Nigeria’s centenary celebration.
Fawehinmi is one of the one hundred individuals who have been billed to receive awards in various categories during the celebration which marks the amalgamation of Southern and Northern Nigeria.
In a statement signed by the late activist’s son, Mohammed, on Thursday, the family said it could not acknowledge the award as a result of the inclusion of former President Ibrahim Babangida, “who as military president, severally detained and tortured our late father” on the list.
The statement explained further, “In the course of one of such illegal and inhuman detentions, our late father’s cell was sprayed with toxic substances while in Gashua prison in 1987.
“The cumulative effect of the dastardly action led to our father, a non-smoker, contracting lung cancer, which led to his death on September 5, 2009.”
The family also said it would be wrong for them to receive the award in a ceremony that does not seem to have been dampened by the recent killing of students and abduction of some school girls who are still in captivity.
The statement said Fawehinmi himself would never have accepted the award in the face of the recently uncovered corruption in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
“Our late father was unrepentantly for the unity of Nigeria. With the level of profligacy in some of the events celebrating Nigeria’s centenary, our father would have preferred the millions of Naira to be channelled into improving the socio-economic well being of the people,” the family said.
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