A coalition of friends and associates of the late legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), on Friday demanded the immediate demolition of a four-storey apartment building erected beside his residence in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, describing it as a dangerous structure that threatens the safety of his family and desecrates his legacy.
At a press conference and protest held on Friday, April 25, 2025, the group decried what they described as a “brazen act of recklessness and injustice,” the construction of a four-storey apartment building directly beside Chief Fawehinmi’s residence in Ikeja GRA.
According to the group, the four-storey building, referred to as a “so-called apartment” but identified as a hotel, was erected with blatant disregard for Lagos State’s urban planning laws, particularly the mandatory three-metre minimum setback between buildings.
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The event, organized shortly after Fawehinmi’s 87th posthumous birthday on April 22, was aimed at drawing public attention to the matter and demanding corrective action.
In a statement signed by leading activists and lawyers including Femi Falana (SAN), Clement (SAN), Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), Adindu Ugwuzor, Richard Akinnola, Edetaen Ojo, Bayo Alabidun, and Lanre Arogundade, the group emphasized that the gathering “marks the beginning of series of actions we might be compelled to embark upon until we attain that goal of justice.
“We wish to reiterate that Chief Gani uncommonly devoted almost his entire legal, social and political life to the advocacy for the rule of law, respect for the Constitution and the defence of the rights of Nigerians, especially the deprived and downtrodden masses, all in the quest for good governance and a country that we can all be proud of,” they said.
The coalition lamented that despite Fawehinmi’s sacrifices, his family continues to face threats and intimidation: