Professor T.M Aluko (Author of "Chief, The Honourable Minister", etc).

Ishilove:
Awwww...

Awwwwwwwww... Memories

So, I hope to see your pic in this section in a few years.

naptu2: Ben Okri

Quite an attractive fellow

Amos Tutuola

Chinua Achebe (someone said he looks like Kanye West in the first pic)

Wole Soyinka

(L-R) John Pepper Clark, Chinua Achebe & Wole Soyinka @ Dodan Barracks to plead for the life of (soldier & poet) Major General Mamman Vatsa.

naptu2:

So, I hope to see your pic in this section in a few years.

I hope so too. It will be something like this...

Ishilove:
I hope so too. It will be something like this...

naptu2: (L-R) John Pepper Clark, Chinua Achebe & Wole Soyinka @ Dodan Barracks to plead for the life of (soldier & poet) Major General Mamman Vatsa.

Vatsa was a poet??

naptu2: Amos Tutuola

Baba 70!

I loved this man ...

Ishilove:
Vatsa was a poet??

Yeah. I had his book of poems (about a scorpion @ Dodan Barracks).

Chief Abdul-Ganiyu "Gani" Oyesola Fawehinmi (SAN)



Gani Fawehinmi was born on April 22, 1938 into the prominent Tugbolo Fawehinmi family in Ondo. His father, a timber magnate, was fully responsible for his education and welfare. His hope of becoming a lawyer was almost dashed when he lost his father while he was a law student in London. All efforts to raise a loan to enable him to complete his university education proved abortive. So he had to fend for himself. Although he eventually succeeded in becoming a lawyer, Gani decided to dedicate his entire life to struggle for the establishment of a society where every needy child would be educated at the expense of the State. Chief Fawehinmi and his estates have given scholarship to many indigent undergraduates on an annual basis since 1976.

Having identified law as a tool of oppression in the hands of the ruling class Gani provided legal services, on pro bono publico basis, to thousands of workers, students and other victims of social injustice, abuse of power and oppression. Gani made most of his money from publishing the Nigerian Weekly Law Reports (NWLR). Before his revolutionary intervention in law reporting only a handful of privileged lawyers who had access to cyclostyled copies of the judgments of the appellate courts were winning cases in our Courts. Chief Fawehinmi sent his lawyers to courts around the country to obtain such judgments but decided to popularise legal knowledge by embarking on regular publication of law reports.

Upon the completion of his legal education in London Gani returned home and was called to the Nigerian Bar in January 1965. Barely a year later, the first republic was sacked by the armed forces. The Constitution was suspended while draconian decrees were imposed on the Nigerian people. In 1969, he took up the case of a factory worker whose wife had been snatched by a powerful permanent secretary in the service of the Benue Plateau State Government. Not withstanding that he was a rookie lawyer, he defeated the late Chief Rotimi Williams, QC, who was the counsel to the permanent secretary. For daring to challenge the corrupt establishment the Yakubu Gowon regime arrested and detained him without trial for several months. Instead of cowing him into submission, the brutal experience strengthened him as Gani resolved to wage a decisive battle against injustice in all its ramifications.

For instance, in the Garba v. University of Maiduguri (1986) 2 NWLR (PT 18) 559, the fundamental right of students to fair hearing before rustication or expulsion was upheld.

The injustice in the Legal Practitioners Act which made the Attorney-General of the Federation the accuser and the prosecutor with respect to allegations of misconduct involving lawyers was highlighted by the Supreme Court in the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee v. Fawehinmi (1985) 3 NWLR (PT 7) 300. The decision led to the amendment of the Act.

The dismissal of the case of Fawehinmi v. Nigerian Bar Association (1989) 2 NWLR (PT 107) 558 by the Supreme Court on the ground that the respondent was not a juristic personality led to the registration of the Nigerian Bar Association under the Companies and Allied Matters Act.

In Balarabe Musa v. INEC (2003) 10 WRN 1, the political space was liberalised when the Supreme Court struck down the stringent conditionalities imposed by INEC on new political parties.

In Fawehinmi v. Akilu (1987) 2 NWLR (PT 67) 767 the Supreme Court relaxed the anachronistic doctrine of locus standi so as to permit the private prosecution of criminal offences by concerned individuals on the ground that “we are all our brothers’ keepers”.

Since the Attorney-General of the Federation has never sued the Federal Government as a defender of public interest, the locus standi of Gani to challenge the violations of the Constitution and other illegalities was upheld in the case of Fawehinmi v. The President (2007) 14 NWLR (PT 1054) 275.

In Abacha v. Fawehinmi (2001) 51 WRN 29 the Supreme Court held that since the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights has been domesticated by the National Assembly, our domestic courts have the jurisdiction to construe and apply its provisions whenever there are allegations of human rights infringement.

In Fawehinmi v. Inspector-General of Police (2002) 23 WRN 1 it was declared by the Supreme Court that the public officers covered by the immunity clause in Section 308 of the Constitution can be investigated while in office.

However, one of Gani’s post-humous rewards for his contribution to the legal system in Nigeria is the enactment of the Fundamental Procedure Rules 2009. Under the new human rights regime in Nigeria, concerned individuals and public spirited organizations can now file actions in courts challenging the violation of the human rights of other citizens.

In 1986, while Chief Gani Fawehinmi was Dele Giwa's Lawyer, the latter was killed in a bomb blast under suspicious circumstances.

Again, in 1995, Chief Fawehinmi served as counsel to Ken Saro-Wiwa when Saro-Wiwa was being tried for murder, but Fawehinmi withdrew from the case, branding the tribunal a Kangaroo court.

As a result of his activities chief Gani Fawehinmi had been arrested, detained and charged to court several times. His international passport was seized on many occasions and his residence and Chambers were searched several times. He was beaten up time after time and was deported from one part of the country to another to prevent him from being able to effectively reach out to the masses among whom he was popular. His books were confiscated by the Federal Military Government and his library at Surulere, a suburb of Lagos, were set ablaze. His law Chambers at Anthony Village, Lagos State, were invaded by persons suspected to be agents of the government. The guards were shot, two of them seriously wounded.
Gani died in the early hours of 5 September 2009 after a prolonged battle with lung cancer. He was 71 years old.



Gani had been locked up in the following police and security cells between 1969 and 1996:

* Police Headquarters, Kaduna , 1969.
* Jos Police Station, 1969
* Ilorin Police Station, 1969
* Police Headquarters, Lagos, 1969
* Police Headquarters, Lagos 1972 (twice)
* C. I. D. Alagbon, Lagos, 1978
* Inter-Centre Detention Outpost, Lagos, 1978
* Ikoyi Police Station,1978
* Panti Police Station, Lagos, 1987
* Panti Police Station, Lagos, 1988 (three times)
* Police Station Ikeja, 1988
* Panti Police Station, Lagos, 1989 (twice)
* Ikoyi Police Station, 1989
* State Security Services (SSS) Cell Maiduguri, 1989
* State Security Services (SSS) Cell Awolowo Road, Ikoyi 1991
* C. I. D. Police Station Ikoyi, 1992
* Police Station Wuse Abuja, 1992
* Inter-Centre Cell, Lagos 1993
* State Security Services (SSS) Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, 1993
* C. I. D. Police Station Ikoyi, 1993
* Police Station Wuse Abuja, 1993
* Police Headquarters, Abuja, 1993
* Panti Police Station, Lagos, 1994
* F. I. I. B. Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos 1994 (Once)
* Panti Police Station, Lagos, 1995 (Twice)
* State Security Services Shangisha Cell Lagos, 1995 (Once)
* State Security Service Shangisha Cell Lagos, 1996 (Once)

In all these arrests and detentions, he was treated sometimes cruelly, sometimes crudely and sometimes with some civility.

He had also been detained in the following federal prisons by various Military Governments from 1969 to 1996:

* Kaduna Prison, 1969
* Gombe Prison, 1969 - 1970
* Ikoyi Prison, 1978
* Gashua Prison, 1989
* Nigerian Prison Ikoyi, 1990
* Nigerian Prison Kuje, 1992
* Nigerian Prison Kuje, 1993 and
* Nigerian Prison, Bauchi 1996

Dr Tai Solarin



Augustus Taiwo “Tai” Solarin cAugust 20, 1922 – June 27, 1994

He served in the Royal Air Force during the 2nd World War and remained in Britain, studying at University of Manchester and then at the University of London. Tai Solarin married English born Sheila Mary Tuer in 1951.

In 1952, he became the principal of Molusi College, IjebuIgbo, a post he held till 1956, when he established the famous Mayflower School, Ikenne, Ogun State. The school is noted for academic excellence.

For the majority of the first forty years after independence, Nigeria had no effective opposition to the mostly military governments of that time. Activists, such as Tai Solarin, Wole Soyinka, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Gani Fawehinmi acted as opposition to the government.

In 1975, when the General Gowon regime delayed returning power to a civilian regime, Tai published his “The beginning of the End” statement, which he then physically distributed on the roadside. He was subsequently imprisoned for this act. Throughout his lifetime, Tai fought running battles with various governments in order to improve the lot of Nigerians.

As a columnist, Tai was a relentless critic of military rule, as well as of corruption in government and the church. He was often jailed for his public remarks. Tai wrote regularly for the Daily Times, the Nigerian Tribune and the Guardian.

In 1989 the People's Bank was founded by the government and Tai Solarin, against the advice of Gani Fawehinmi, became the first chairman. The bank was created to disburse soft loans and other forms of credit to the very poor to start up their own business.

Tai was a well known humanist and atheist who opposed the ownership of schools by churches. He once said that “black (people) hold on to their God just as a drunken man holds on to the street lamp post – for physical support only”. He declared that he wanted to be buried within hours of his death and without any ceremony or coffin, so that his body could serve as organic fertilizer for the plants in his compound. However, he devised a means of promoting religious harmony in his school, Mayflower, by creating a “quiet hour” in the mornings, rather than the “assembly time” that was observed in other schools. During the quiet hour, students who felt like praying in the Christian way, could go to a corner and say their prayers, those who felt like praying in the Muslim way could also go to a corner and say their prayers, etc. students who did not want to pray, could quietly read their books.

Tai was known for his modesty and was always dressed in simple khaki shirt and shorts.

Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti



She led Egba women in a protest against the Alake for enforcing British food trade regulations. The protest led to the deposition and deportation of the Alake. She fought for the right of women to vote and also fought against separate taxes levied on women. She was also the first Nigerian woman to drive a car & ride a bike. Her activism inspired her sons Olikoye, Fela & Beko & her nephew, Wole Soyinka, to campaign for the rights of Nigerians.

She died on 13th April 1978 from injuries she sustained when, in February 1978, soldiers, who had invaded the home of her son Fela Anikulapo Kuti, threw her out of a second floor window. She was 78 years old when she died.

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti & his mother, women's rights activist, Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti & Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti protesting the death of their mother.

naptu2: Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti



She was also the first Nigerian woman to drive a car & ride a bike.

This right here is gaaaangsterrr!!

great job naptu2

esere826: great job naptu2

Thanks

A very good thread .

Well done OP.

GenBuhari: A very good thread .

Well done OP.

Thanks

Fela & his wives



South African jazz musician Hugh Masekela had not seen his good friend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti for many years, so when he came to perform in Nigeria, he took the opportunity to visit his friend & the following conversation ensued.

Hugh: I heard you got married to 27 women, where are they? I want to see them.

Fela: (Hisses) I divorced them.

Hugh: You divorced them? Why?

Fela: My girlfriends were jealous

Dr Victor Olaiya

Eddy Okonta

Bobby Benson

I.K Dairo

Art Alade