Mohammed Fawehinmi, the first child of the late legal luminary, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, is dead. He was aged 52.
Though details surrounding his death were still sketchy as of the time of filing this report, Nigerian Tribune learnt that he died on Wednesday at an undisclosed hospital, after complaining of difficulty in breathing.
Family sources told Vanguard that he complained of breathing difficulty Wednesday morning and was rushed to an undisclosed hospital where he died.
Mohammed was born on February 21, 1969.
He had his primary school at Kotun Memorial School, Surulere, Lagos and his secondary education at Federal Government College, Sokoto.
Mohammed was a graduate of Business Administration at the University of Lagos. He obtained an LLB degree from the University of Buckingham, England and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1998.
The deceased had over 20 years of experience in law practice. Before his death, he was the head, Mohammed Fawehinmi’s Chambers; Director, Nigerian Law Publications Limited; Director, Books Industries Nigeria Limited and the Director, Gani Faw hinmi Library & Gallery Limited.
On September 23, 2003, while returning from his father’s law firm, Mohammed had a lone car accident that confined him to wheelchair.
Speaking a few years ago on the challenge of practicing law while on wheelchair, Mohammed said: “I look at my ordeal as part of life’s ‘buffet’, just like it served my late father on several occasions. I feel I’m in a mini detention centre at the moment, but then, I’m positive that one day, I’ll be free. But I’m glad that I have been able to practice as a trained lawyer despite the tragedy that I’ve encountered in life.”
He remained unmarried due largely to his condition. Despite being born to a notable father, Mohammed suffered stigmatisation due to his health condition.
The accident also changed his life, the way he never envisaged.
Mohammed Fawehinmi was unmarried before his death. As he said in an interview in 2018,
the accident affected his life in many ways.
“I just felt that I shouldn’t bother any woman with my condition. I didn’t want anybody to marry me out of pity. Even though I always have females around me, it is not every woman that can stay with a person with a disability of my kind.
“Most of the women I have met in recent times are not the ones that can stay with a man, they are the type who would want to attend parties and keep all sorts of friends instead of looking after me. Of course, a few have come close to what I want but the temperament is nothing to write home about”.