You must have heard about the shocking death of firebrand Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Fred Agbaje – who reportedly died on Saturday, November 26, 2016 at LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos?
So sad, you may want to say, and especially if you ever interacted or had any dealings with him before death, via ill health, took him away.
YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine, amidst all the tributes being heaped on the legal giant, brings you 15 things we can never, never forget about him:
1. One of unfulfilled dreams was not becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) – in spite of applying a couple of times.
2. He never wanted to be a lawyer. In fact, his initial plan was to become a geologist until his father and principal altered that after noticing that he was too argumentative and also very articulate.
3. He passed through two secondary schools – St. Paul’s Anglican Boys Grammar School, Igala, Edo State and Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State.
4. While in secondary school, he was the Social Prefect and also an active member of the Literary and Debating Society – which of course later guided his legal exploits.
5. Among his passions, three were not only so noticeable but also got a large chunk of his money – clothes, cars and books. In fact, he once said in an interview that his wardrobe accommodated 5000 pairs of shoes and 3000 suits!
6. He trained as a lawyer at the University of Benin, in Edo State.
7. Incidentally, it was also at UNIBEN that he met his wife, Folake.
8. Mrs. Folake Agbaje, also a lawyer and from Ishan in Edo State, is an ex beauty queen – Miss UNIBEN. As a matter of fact, it was the day she emerged as a queen that the late Barrister Fred Agbaje ‘toasted’ her and after the ‘Initial Gra Gra (IGG)’, she acquiesced.
9. The lovers finally got married on May 28, 1988 – and were together for 28 years before death came in-between them.
10. The union, until his death, was blessed with two children, a boy and a girl. Their names are Oluwaseyi Frederick Jnr and Mojere Faith Agbaje.
11. His son’s ill heath at some point led to his family relocating abroad (UK) – and which explains why they maintained two homes.
12. Not given to excessive accumulation of wealth, he had just a duplex in the United Kingdom, where his family lives; another duplex in Lagos where he lived and a bungalow in Bariga, Lagos that served as his chambers.
13. His chambers, Fred Agbaje & Co, is situated at 51, Popoola Street, Bariga, Lagos, with over half a dozen lawyers in his employ.
14. Hugely in love with Law, he once taught Administrative Law on a part time basis and for free too at the Lagos State University.
15. Renowned for handling hundreds of briefs, both pro bono and otherwise, among his popular clients were PMAN, Onyeka Onwenu…