Babangida added that his fondness for Fawehinmi was born out of his attraction to bright minds
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Nigerian Military Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, popularly known as IBB, has said the late civil rights lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, rejected his attempts to become his friend due to the notion that he was an “evil genius.”
He made this known while featuring on ‘Inside Sources’, a Channels Television programme anchored by Laolu Akande, where he claimed he employed all possible means to bring Fawehinmi close while in power but failed.
Describing the late human rights activist as a good man, IBB further said he made overtures to him through a member of his cabinet, Alex Akinyele, but it did not work out.
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Speaking during the chat, IBB said: “He (Fawehinmi) is a good critic and he doesn’t want to be seen with someone that people already perceived as ‘an evil genius.’
“I like listening to him. I made it a point to become his friend. He was very friendly with one of my former ministers, the late Alex Akinyele; they were very good friends, and he tried to make us very good friends.
“If we come up with a policy, my first question to my staff was: What would Gani Fawehinmi say?”
Babangida went on to say that his fondness for the late activist was born out of his attraction to bright minds.
Fawehinmi was a vocal critic of the government, both military and civilian. Different military regimes incarcerated him but he never relented in his human rights activism till he died in 2009, at the age of 71.
In 2008, he rejected the award of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) conferred on him by late President Musa Yar’Adua. However, in 2018, he was conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) — the second-highest national honour in Nigeria by former President Muhammadu Buhari.