Traffic was brought to a near standstill this afternoon at the Ikeja GRA area, as the remains of Chief Ganiyu Fawehinmi left a private morgue at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital for his Ikeja home, nearby to begin the lying in state.
His corpse was moved from the mortuary at about noon.
Dressed in a white lace fabric flowing gown (Agbada), a green hat and a pair of black shoes, the body was laid in a white plain casket and transported in an ash colour Mercedes Benz Hearse with registration number TOS 1.
The ambulance was in a convoy of eight other vehicles.
Family members and mourners walked slowly and solemnly behind the ambulance that took off at about 11:52 a.m. from Ikeja General Hospital.
A multitude of Nigerians followed the convoy as it trudged its way from Oba Akinjobi Road to Isaac John Road, from where it veered into Fani Kayode Road, onto Ademola Close, where Gani’s residence is located. Another multitude of mourners and family members were already waiting for the convoy when it arrived.
He will be buried in his country home in Ondo State on 15 September.
Gani died last Saturday at the age of 71 after a protracted battle with lung cancer.
Following his death, eminent Nigerians have been showering tributes on him.
As at the time of going to press, prominent Nigerians were being expected to join the family members at Fawehinmi’s residence for the lying-in-state ceremony.
Apart from the huge crowd that gathered to pay their last respects, present at the lying in state this afternoon were Mr. Muiz Banire, Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, President of Campaign for Democracy (CD) and other human right activists.Meanwhile, Civil Society organisations have commenced a meeting in Lagos to plan for their effective participation in the burial activities of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN).
The National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, told P.M.News this morning that OPC and other civil society organisations in the country would play a big role in the burial activities of the late human right activist.
Otunba Adams said all civil society organisations started meeting yesterday at 21, Akinsanya Street, off Isheri in Ojodu local Council Development Area, Lagos to map out the roles to play in the burial programme of the late legal icon so as to give him a befitting burial.
He also called for the immortalisation of Chief Fawehinmi with a solid structure or monument that will become a tourist attraction for all Nigerians.
“We need to immortalise Gani. He served this country well and was the voice of the masses. No structure or institution is too big to immortalise him,” the OPC leader stated.
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