By Gboyega Akinsanmi and    Shola Oyeyipo
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Dr. Olu Onagoruwa yesterday passed on at the age of 80 after surviving stroke first in 1997 and later in 2004.
Onagoruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights activist, died at a private ward at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute-Meta precisely at 2:05 a.m. Friday morning.
The Deputy Head of Dr. Olu Onagoruwa Chambers, Mr. Seun Onagoruwa confirmed his passage to THISDAY yesterday, noting that the late patriarch died while being treated for malaria at the FMC, though he had some complications in the course of the treatment.
He lamented that Onagoruwa’s health challenge started in 1997 shortly after some unknown gunmen gruesomely murdered his son, Toyin in December 1996 during the junta of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
He said: “Our father first had stroke in 1997 few months after the death of my brother. But he survived the stroke. And he was fine. He had another stroke in 2004. He also survived it. Since then, he had been managing his health. And he was doing well.
“But few weeks ago, the late Onagoruwa was diagnosed of malaria at the FMC, Ebute-Meta. He was responding to treatment until he had some complication again. He finally passed on precisely at 2:05 a.m. Friday morning at the federal medical centre.â€
He was appointed the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice by the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, though resigned few months after his appointment.
He resigned from the Abacha-led Provisional Ruling Council due to the release of Mr. Turner Ogboru, a brother of Chief Great Ogboru for alleged involvement in coup plot against the Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
Consequent upon Turner Ogboru’s release, Abacha was quoted to have said Onagoruwa had committed an offence more than treasonable felony for allowing a suspect of coup plot to regain freedom.
Two years after he resigned from the Abacha junta, some unknown gunmen gruesomely murdered his son, Toyin, whom the communities of human rights activities and civil society practitioners, alleged was assassinated by the junta.
Few years ago, his wife passed away, which some of his associates said, had compounded his health challenges coupled with the brutal killing of his son in December 1996.
Onagoruwa, who marked his 80th birthday in 2016, was born at Odogbolu, Ogun State on November 11, 1936 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1971 after completing his law programme in the United Kingdom.
Onagoruwa, the Principal Partner of Olu Onagoruwa Chambers, graduated from University College London in 1964, obtained his LLM and completed his Ph.D. in constitutional Law from the same University in 1968.
Until his passage yesterday, he was a member of the Inner Temple of the English bar and also a member of both the Nigerian and International Bar Associations.
As contained in his profile obtained the website of his chambers, Onagoruwa has an inexhaustible zest for writing and published over 250 articles on law and contemporary issues.
The website said: “He is also the author of the Nigerian Civil War; Fundamental Human Rights and International law 1969, The Amakiri Case; Press Freedom in crisis 1978 and Law and Contemporary Nigeria Reflections 2004 amongst others.
“Onagoruwa, who attended the Academy of American and International Law Center USA on a full bright and hays scholarship, has served as a law lecturer in various Nigerian Institutions.
“He was appointed the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the federal Republic of Nigeria in 1993 and also as the African representative to the body that drafted Ethiopia’s constitution in that same year. Dr. Onagoruwa was also the Group Legal Adviser/ Company Secretary of Daily Times Nigeria for several years.â€
Former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Chidi Odinkalu paid tribute to the late legal icon yesterday, describing him as an exceptional Nigerian.
