11th February, 2025
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Renowned journalist and legal analyst Richard Akinnola has strongly condemned Brigadier-General Kunle Togun (rtd) over what he described as “egregious, insidious, and fallacious allegations” against the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN.
Akinnola’s statement comes in response to an interview Togun granted on the Edmund Obilo podcast, where he claimed Fawehinmi harboured resentment against the Ibrahim Babangida regime due to an alleged business favour from the Buhari government that was disrupted by the 1985 coup.
Akinnola dismissed Togun’s assertion as outright falsehood, stating that Fawehinmi was never a businessman and had no financial dealings with the Buhari administration.
According to him, Fawehinmi’s unwavering support for Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign under Decree 3 of 1984 did not extend to violations of the rule of law, citing the lawyer’s fierce opposition to the regime’s disobedience of court orders.
He recalled an instance where Fawehinmi took a stand against the government over the wrongful interdiction of firefighter Saidu Garba, which led to the resignation of Justice Yaya Jinadu.
Refuting Togun’s claim that Fawehinmi sought government patronage, Akinnola stressed that the late legal icon’s only engagements were in law practice, legal writing, and publishing.
He argued that if Babangida truly had any compromising information on Fawehinmi, he would have used it against him during their long-running clashes.
Instead, Babangida himself acknowledged Fawehinmi’s integrity, referring to him as one of the few genuine critics he respected, alongside Professor Awojobi and Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman.
Akinnola further exposed similar fabrications made in the past by Fawehinmi’s erstwhile friend, Dr. Olu Onagoruwa.
He recalled how Onagoruwa, after accepting an appointment as Attorney General under the Sani Abacha regime against Fawehinmi’s advice, later alleged in his book that Buhari facilitated the purchase of Fawehinmi’s London apartment.
Akinnola cited Fawehinmi’s rebuttal, where he provided documented evidence that he had bought the property in 1980—four years before Buhari assumed office.
Akinnola underscored the importance of setting the record straight to protect Fawehinmi’s legacy from baseless distortions.
He reaffirmed that those who knew and worked with Fawehinmi would continue to counter any false narratives designed to tarnish his reputation.
