Dr. Olu Onagoruwa SAN (1947-2017) was a solid liberal lawyer whose
fidelity to bourgeois democracy and rule of law of law was
unquestionable. He was one of the few lawyers who took active part
in the demilitarization of African politics. Dr. Onagoruwa was
involved in active legal practice and teaching of law.
He was also a versatile newspaper columnist on legal matters. He
was once charged with committing contempt of court by expressing
a legal opinion on a matter that was pending in the Enugu
state high court. He was tried and convicted for contempt of
court. But the conviction was set aside by the Court of Appeal. It
is on record that all the criminal cases brought against Dr.
Onagoruwa were successfully defended by his close ally, the late
Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN.
Dr. Onagoruwa was equally ever ready
to defend the pro-democracy and human right leaders
whenever they were arrested and detained by successive military
dictators. Through the several writs of habeas corpus and
fundamental rights applications filed by him in the high courts he
was able to secure the release of scores of political detainees.
Following the manipulation of the political transition programme by
the Ibrahim Babangida junta the Campaign for Democracy (CD)
launched a campaign in January 1992 to terminate the military
rule in the country. The junta reacted by charging Chief
Fawehinmi, Dr Beko Ransome-kuti, Baba Omojola, Segun Mayegun and
myself with treasonable felony. Our legal defence
team was ably led by Dr. Onagoruwa. On account of his principled
defence of human rights and rule of law the federal military
government and the conservative legal establishment subjected
him to harassment on several occasions. Convinced that a fascist
military dictatorship could be reformed from within Dr. Onagoruwa
accepted the offer of the Sani Abacha junta to serve as Minister of
Justice and Attorney-General of Federation. His acceptance of the
post in January 1984 led to the painful break up of his
relationship with the late Chief Fawehinmi and the human
rights community. Notwithstanding the parting of ways with his
constituency he was not trusted by the legal establishment. Hence,
Dr. Onagoruwa was denied the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria
which ought to have been conferred on him on account of his
appointment in line with the existing guidelines at the material
time. He also lost out in the government as he was ostracized
for opposing draconian decrees which ousted the jurisdiction
of the courts. As Dr. Onagoruwa could not be persuaded to
drop his liberal tendencies the Abacha junta decided to recruit the
services of some reactionary lawyers in private practice who
drafted obnoxious decrees to repress the Nigerian people. When the
first set of such decrees were promulgated by the junta Dr.
Onagoruwa addressed a press conference wherein he publicly
protested and distanced himself from them. Embarrassed by his
defiance the junta decided to remove him from office. As if that
was not enough his first son, Toyin, was brutally killed by
official goons. His spirited efforts to get justice at the
Justice Chukwudifu Oputa-led Human Rights Abuse Commission
did not succeed as the Olusegun Obasanjo administration
failed to release the report of the Commission. Dr Onagoruwa never
fully recovered from the terrible experience of losing his son and
friends in the struggle. Even though he had called it quits with
legal practice on health grounds he took solace in his belated
admission to inner bar by the Legal Practitioners Privileges
Committee belatedly admitted him to the inner bar in 2013.
Dr. Olu Onagoruwa SAN (1947-2017) was a solid liberal lawyer whose
fidelity to bourgeois democracy and rule of law of law was
unquestionable. He was one of the few lawyers who took active part
in the demilitarization of African politics. Dr. Onagoruwa was
involved in active legal practice and teaching of law.
He was also a versatile newspaper columnist on legal matters. He
was once charged with committing contempt of court by expressing
a legal opinion on a matter that was pending in the Enugu
state high court. He was tried and convicted for contempt of
court. But the conviction was set aside by the Court of Appeal. It
is on record that all the criminal cases brought against Dr.
Onagoruwa were successfully defended by his close ally, the late
Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN.
Dr. Onagoruwa was equally ever ready
to defend the pro-democracy and human right leaders
whenever they were arrested and detained by successive military
dictators. Through the several writs of habeas corpus and
fundamental rights applications filed by him in the high courts he
was able to secure the release of scores of political detainees.
Following the manipulation of the political transition programme by
the Ibrahim Babangida junta the Campaign for Democracy (CD)
launched a campaign in January 1992 to terminate the military
rule in the country. The junta reacted by charging Chief
Fawehinmi, Dr Beko Ransome-kuti, Baba Omojola, Segun Mayegun and
myself with treasonable felony. Our legal defence
team was ably led by Dr. Onagoruwa. On account of his principled
defence of human rights and rule of law the federal military
government and the conservative legal establishment subjected
him to harassment on several occasions. Convinced that a fascist
military dictatorship could be reformed from within Dr. Onagoruwa
accepted the offer of the Sani Abacha junta to serve as Minister of
Justice and Attorney-General of Federation. His acceptance of the
post in January 1984 led to the painful break up of his
relationship with the late Chief Fawehinmi and the human
rights community. Notwithstanding the parting of ways with his
constituency he was not trusted by the legal establishment. Hence,
Dr. Onagoruwa was denied the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria
which ought to have been conferred on him on account of his
appointment in line with the existing guidelines at the material
time. He also lost out in the government as he was ostracized
for opposing draconian decrees which ousted the jurisdiction
of the courts. As Dr. Onagoruwa could not be persuaded to
drop his liberal tendencies the Abacha junta decided to recruit the
services of some reactionary lawyers in private practice who
drafted obnoxious decrees to repress the Nigerian people. When the
first set of such decrees were promulgated by the junta Dr.
Onagoruwa addressed a press conference wherein he publicly
protested and distanced himself from them. Embarrassed by his
defiance the junta decided to remove him from office. As if that
was not enough his first son, Toyin, was brutally killed by
official goons. His spirited efforts to get justice at the
Justice Chukwudifu Oputa-led Human Rights Abuse Commission
did not succeed as the Olusegun Obasanjo administration
failed to release the report of the Commission. Dr Onagoruwa never
fully recovered from the terrible experience of losing his son and
friends in the struggle. Even though he had called it quits with
legal practice on health grounds he took solace in his belated
admission to inner bar by the Legal Practitioners Privileges
Committee belatedly admitted him to the inner bar in 2013.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/falana-mourns-ex-agf-onagoruwa/