Flashback: Femi Falana and his wife, Funmi (both are now SANs), on their wedding day

Babafemi Ojudu

Last Monday Mrs Funmi Falana, Nee Aguda , wife of my friend and Comrade Mr Femi Falana ( SAN ) a human rights advocate was called to the inner bar.

That is to say both husband and wife are now members of the elite club in the legal profession in Nigeria . It’s been a long journey from our days at the University of Ife and later as young bachelors on Funmilayo St , Ikosi , Ketu in Lagos .

Funmi Falana, Falz and Femi Falana

We were also in the trenches together all through the military era ; Femi using the instrumentality of the law and I using journalism.

When Mrs Falana was nursing young children and running their joint law chambers, the husband was dumped from jail to jail by the military regimes of both Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha . Funmi had to combine her role at home as a mother and a lawyer advocating for women’s rights with visiting prisons to look at the welfare of her husband.

Today I want to celebrate not only the individual achievements of two exceptional lawyers but also the power of resilience, perseverance and of cooperation and mutual assistance within a couple.

Together, the Falanas have scaled the heights of legal practice, proving that a shared commitment to each other’s success can elevate both partners to the pinnacle of their careers. It is a testament to the notion that behind every successful lawyer, there often stands a supportive and collaborative partner.

Congratulations to this remarkable couple, Mr and Mrs Falana on their shared triumph.