Nelson Olanipekun
{{Short description|Nigerian human rights lawyer}}
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{{Infobox person
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| name = Nelson Olanipekun
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| image = Barr. Nelson.jpg
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| caption = Nelson Olanipekun in his Ibadan office
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| nationality = Nigerian
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| education = Ekiti State University, University of Ibadan
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| occupation = Human rights Lawyer
| years_active = 2014–present
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| organization = Citizens' Gavel
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| known_for = Founding Citizens' Gavel
| notable_works = #EndSARS Movement
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Nelson Olanipekun is a Nigerian human rights lawyer and entrepreneur. He founded Gavel, an organization using technology to improve access to justice in Nigeria.{{cite news |last1=Onukwue |first1=Alexander |date=9 October 2019 |title=Lawsuits, police tracking, pressure: Inside the strategy to end police brutality |url=https://techcabal.com/2019/10/09/lawsuits-police-tracking-pressure-inside-the-strategy-to-end-police-brutality/ |accessdate=27 February 2020 |agency=Tech Cabal}}{{cite news |last1=Dimma |first1=Mabel |date=17 December 2017 |title=Everyone deserves a second chance and access to justice |url=https://businessday.ng/news-features/article/everyone-deserves-second-chance-access-justice/ |accessdate=26 February 2020 |agency=Business Day}}{{Cite web |date=15 November 2019 |title=A Hopefully Peaceful Future - Topics - Government.nl |url=https://www.government.nl/topics/business-for-development/weblogs/2019/a-hopefully-peaceful-future}} As a legal advocate, he has been involved in discussions on police reform, including relating to the End SARS campaign.{{Cite web |title=Nigeria | One Young World |url=https://www.oneyoungworld.com/ambassador-projects/nigeria-4}}
Education
Olanipekun attended Ekiti State University, receiving a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 2013. He subsequently attended the Nigerian Law School, qualifying as a barrister and solicitor in 2014. While at Law School, he developed an online collaboration platform.
In 2017, he earned a master's degree in Forensic Science from the University of Ibadan.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}
Career
Olanipekun began his legal career interning at the Justice Development Peace Center (JDPC) in Ondo State, where he worked on legal aid and justice sector reforms.{{cite news |last1=Unah |first1=Linus |date=30 December 2018 |title=How technology is helping Nigerians get speedy access to justice |url=https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/how-technology-is-helping-nigerians-get-speedy-access-to-justice-22938 |accessdate=26 February 2020 |agency=TRT World}} Between 2014 and 2017, he worked at Bola Ige & Co. and Oluwaseun Dada & Co., focusing on litigation and legal consultancy.{{cite news |last1=Abas |first1=Akeem |date=10 August 2019 |title=NGO unveils application to tackle rights abuse |url=https://nnn.com.ng/ngo-unveils-application-to-tackle-rights-abuse/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227114541/https://nnn.com.ng/ngo-unveils-application-to-tackle-rights-abuse/ |archive-date=2020-02-27 |accessdate=27 February 2020 |agency=NNN}}
In 2017, he founded Gavel, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides legal aid and aims to improve the efficiency of judicial processes through technology-based initiatives.{{cite news |last1=Omolayo |first1=Omotola |date=19 March 2018 |title=How Gavel intends to transform the judicial system using technology |url=https://nairametrics.com/2018/03/19/how-gavel-intends-to-transform-the-judicial-system-using-technology/ |accessdate=27 February 2020 |agency=Naira Metrics}}{{Cite web |title=Gavel |url=https://civichive.org/portfolio/gavel/}} Initially launched in Lagos, Gavel later expanded to Ibadan and Abuja.{{cite news |last1=Iwenwanne |first1=Valentine |date=14 November 2018 |title=Nigeria's civic tech startups |url=https://www.devex.com/news/civic-tech-startups-take-on-nigeria-s-struggle-for-justice-93751 |accessdate=24 February 2020 |agency=Devex}} The organization was initially called Open Justice before rebranding.{{cite news |last1=Dimma |first1=Mabel |date=17 December 2017 |title=Everyone deserves a second chance and access to justice |url=https://businessday.ng/news-features/article/everyone-deserves-second-chance-access-justice/ |accessdate=23 February 2020 |agency=This Day}}
Olanipekun has worked on cases involving human rights violations, police brutality, and extrajudicial killings.{{cite news |last1=Awojulugbe |first1=Oluseyi |date=3 August 2017 |title=BudgIT launches Civic Hive to tackle problems at the grassroots |url=https://www.thecable.ng/budgit-launches-civic-hive-tackle-problems-grassroots |accessdate=24 February 2020 |agency=The Cable}} He worked as a legal consultant during the End SARS movement, which advocated for the reform of Nigeria's Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). However, his precise role and influence in securing policy changes remain a subject of discussion.{{Cite web |title=Tech for Justice: Civic Hive's Gavel Proves "Justice for All" is Possible: BudgIT |url=https://yourbudgit.com/tech-for-justice-civic-hives-gavel-proves-justice-for-all-is-possible/}}
According to reports, Gavel started with nine staff members and has since grown, collaborating with over 150 lawyers across 19 states in Nigeria.{{Cite web |title=Nigeria | One Young World |url=https://www.oneyoungworld.com/ambassador-projects/nigeria-4}}
Advocacy and Public Engagement
In December 2019, Olanipekun sent a letter to the head of the European Union's delegation to Nigeria, urging sanctions against Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS) over the re-arrest of Omoyele Sowore, a political activist. He requested that the DSS be blacklisted and its leadership subjected to travel bans following the storming of the Federal High Court in Abuja by DSS operatives to re-arrest Sowore.
His work and involvement in civic technology and legal activism have been reported in Nigerian and international media.{{cite news |last1=Nwaogu |first1=Uchechi |date=25 April 2019 |title=Gavel: an organization that makes all the difference |url=http://thecircular.org/gavel-an-organization-that-makes-all-the-difference/ |accessdate=26 February 2020 |agency=The Circular}}
Criticism and Controversy
Some commentators have questioned the extent of Olanipekun's influence in judicial reforms, noting that while Gavel has provided legal support, independent data on its overall impact is limited. Also, critics argue that his public advocacy sometimes blurs the line between activism and legal practice.{{cite news |last1=Shibayan |first1=Dyepkazah |date=7 December 2019 |title=NGO asks EU to blacklist DSS over rearrest of Sowore |url=https://www.thecable.ng/ngo-asks-eu-to-blacklist-dss-over-rearrest-of-sowore |accessdate=27 February 2020 |publisher=The Cable}}
References
{{Reflist}}{{Nigeria-law-stub}}{{Nigeria-law-bio-stub}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Olanipekun, Nelson}}
Category:Ekiti State University alumni