Gani begins final journey home
By OLA AGBAJE, SEYE OJO and FAITH HASSAN
Tuesday, September 8, 2009


Gani
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The late legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, began his final journey home on Monday with fanfare. The acclaimed human rights crusader left the morgue of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for his GRA, Ikeja home at about noon in a motorcade.

The corpse, laid in a plain casket, was dressed in a white lace flowing gown (Agbada), a green cap and a pair of black shoes. It was conveyed in an ash colour Mercedes Benz hearse with registration number TOS 1.

Trailing the hearse was a long convoy of at least eight cars and trumpeters, family members and sympathisers, some of whom had been at the hospital since 10.00a.m.
Hundreds of Nigerians joined the funeral party, walking solemnly behind the hearse as it moved slowly to the home of the Fawehinmis. The journey took about one and half hours.
A multitude of sympathisers and family members were ready to receive the corpse when it arrived the home, with songs and dancing.
At exactly 1.30p.m., the corpse was placed in the inner sitting room, for the people to pay their last respects to the fallen hero.

Fawehinmi looked fresh, calm and serene in death. There was a long queue of people who took their turns to pay homage to the generally acknowledged most engaging lawyer in the history of the country.
Dignitaries across the country continued to pay glowing tributes to the memory of Fawehinmi.

Among the notables who called at the deceased’s home on Monday were fiery labour leader and former Secretary General of National Union of Petroleum and National Gas Workers (NUPENG), Chief Frank Kokori, Afenifere Chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, leader Yoruba Council of Elders, General Adeyinka Adebayo (retd), former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Action Congress (AC), governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, notable lawyer, Fred Agbaje, Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Marvel Akpoyibo, Factional leader of All Progressive Grand Alliance Party (APGA), Chief victor Umeh among others.