President Buhari Mourns Fred Agbaje

MICHAEL AKINOLA

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday commiserated with the family, friends and professional colleagues of erudite human rights lawyer, Fred Agbaje, who died earlier in the day in London.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President said he received the news of Agbaje’s death with shock.

He described the late lawyer as “an ardent advocate against corruption and canvasser for internal democracy in political parties, who also believed strongly in the sanctity of the ballot box.”

Buhari commended the fearlessness of the late lawyer in calling for the cleansing of bad eggs in the judiciary and standing up for his beliefs as he fought for the rights of the less-privileged in the society.

He noted that the country has lost a principled man as he enjoined Agbaje’s admirers to keep the flag flying.

The President prayed that God Almighty consoles the Agbaje family and all those who mourned the deceased legal practitioner.

P.M.EXPRESS learnt that Agbaje had an accident falling at the airport in London late last year.

He was in coma for over a month, came out of it and back in hospital for another three months.

But it cannot be verified whether his death now is as a result of that accident.

Agbaje has been described as a thoroughbred lawyer and a man of principle.

He got nominated for the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria three times but failed to make the final list. Those close to him said he vowed never to lobby anybody for the title.

Funsho Arogundade