By Muhammad Umar Faruk
Professor Hauwa Ibrahim, has been a beacon of hope to her immediate community, the North-East and Nigeria at large. Embodying the cherished principles of empathy espoused by virtuous humanity.
Hinna Youth Forum in its annual cultural festival gave an award of excellence to Ibrahim in relation to her enormous contributions to the community and the nation at large, “leveraging on her profound intellectual background in mentorship for the youth in her community is key to a prosperous society,” the forum proclaimed.
Professor Hauwa Ibrahim, J.D., S.J.D., M.L., has been found to be worthy of emulation, both in character & reasoning.
She is an international human rights and Sharia law attorney with considerable academic and government experience, currently researching multidisciplinary and collaborative exploration of root causes of terrorism, including radicalisation of youth and building bridges of cooperation between religious and non-religious communities.
Looking at her continuous contributions to her community, most especially in the educational space, Hinna Primary school has been part of the beneficiaries of her relentless efforts, she contributed immensely in the upbringing of a brighter next generation of the Hinna offsprings, her invaluable contributions include books, office equipment and computers to better facilitate learning and make the children of nobody global citizens to the accessing the internet.
Her relentless commitment towards social justice has held her firm to the ground and opened her welcomed arms day and night offering solace and resolutions to those who seek refuge and assistance through justice. With compassion she has restored hope to the hopeless and given joy to those whom were termed doomed, gently guiding them back to the part of optimism.
Ibrahim’s dedication to her noble cause has has illuminated the obscure paths for countless individuals striving for prosperity, all driven by a deep rooted devotion, indeed having few more individuals akin to her calibre in Gombe, and the nation at large would be a catalyst for social reorientation and reintegration that would lift our community to unprecedented progress and unparallel heights.
She was the president of the Peace Institute. With over 15 years in human rights law; founder and senior partner of Abuja law firm, she was personally responsible for saving 40 women sentenced to death by stoning; author of Practicing Shariah Law: Seven Strategies for Achieving Justice in Shariah Courts and Guide to Achieving Human Rights Objectives Under Sharia Law for Judges and Attorneys in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordon; envoy for UN (EU initiatives on girl child education); Council of Human Rights of the International Bar Association; visiting professor and sought after speaker on human rights, especially related to gender, justice, and interfaith dialogue.
Prior to joining the Harvard Divinity School as a Visiting Lecturer in 2010-2013, Hauwa Ibrahim was a jointly appointed Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and at Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program and Islamic Legal Studies Program. A lawyer, author, and mother, Ibrahim built up a unique practice, representing women and children in Shariah courts who were condemned to death by stoning or to limb amputation for offenses like adultery and theft among others.
She defended over 150 cases pro bono, helping to save the lives of numerous women, including in the internationally known cases of Amina Lawal, Safiya Hussaini, and Hafsatu Abubakar. In May 2014, President Jonathan appointed her to serve on the Presidential Committee charged with fact-finding to help rescue the 219 girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram from Chibok, northern Nigeria. In 2017, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Ibrahim to be a member of the Presidential Panel to Review Compliance of the Armed Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement, the report was submitted in February 2018.
Ibrahim has been honoured with the European Parliament 2005 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in the good company of late President Nelson Mandela.
She earned an LLB and a master’s in international law and diplomacy from the University of Jos in Nigeria; a BL for legal practice from Nigeria Law School; and a master’s of law degree in international studies at American University’s Washington College of Law.
Prof. Hauwa Ibrahim, a Nigerian human rights lawyer who is currently at Yale as a World Fellow, was among three joint winners of the European Parliament’s top human rights award.
She revealed in her acceptance speech that despite having numerous award globally from various profound institutions, the award she received from her people at home stands out and that the award means a lot to her, and is very dear and close to her heart.
