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Tag: Falana

  • Apologise for arresting, shooting teargas at harmless #June12 protesters, Falana tells police

    Apologise for arresting, shooting teargas at harmless #June12 protesters, Falana tells police

    Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana has asked the Nigeria Police Force to apologise to protesters who were arrested during the June 12 nationwide protest on Saturday.

    Falana who is the interim chair of the alliance on surviving COVID-19 and beyond accused the police of violating the fundamental right of expression of the protesters.

    “The police should learn to respect the constitutional rights of protesters. It’s uncivilised for the police to be chasing and attacking unarmed protesters on the streets as if these citizens are criminals,” Falana noted in a communique on Sunday.

    He however commended the protesters for conducting themselves in a mature and peaceful manner.

    Falana also condemned the explanation of the police that the tear gas shot was to prevent hoodlums and miscreants from hijacking the peaceful rallies adding that there are lessons to take from that incident which he describes as unfortunate.

    The rights activist urged future protesters to inform the police ahead of their action as demanded by law.

    Meanwhile the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba says no protester was arrested on June 12.

    The police spokesman justified the use of tear gas on protesters who took to the streets to mark Democracy Day by voicing their grievances against the government of the day.

    According to Mr Mba, the actions of officers were in line with international best practices of dispersing violent protests.

  • Twitter ban: SERAP drags Buhari to ECOWAS court, appoints Falana

    Twitter ban: SERAP drags Buhari to ECOWAS court, appoints Falana

    Civil society organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project; and 176 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the government of the President Muhammadu Buhari at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja over the government’s suspension of microblogging platform, Twitter.

    The suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21 was filed on Tuesday by Solicitor to SERAP and human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN.

    SERAP also maintained that the “suspension of Twitter is aimed at intimidating and stopping Nigerians from using Twitter and other social media platforms to assess government policies, expose corruption, and criticize acts of official impunity by the agents of the Federal Government.”

    In the suit, SERAP and the aggrieved Nigerians sought, “An order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and subjecting anyone including media houses, broadcast stations using Twitter in Nigeria, to harassment, intimidation, arrest and criminal prosecution, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”

    The Complainants also contended that “if this application is not urgently granted, the Federal Government will continue to arbitrarily suspend Twitter and threaten to impose criminal and other sanctions on Nigerians, telecommunication companies, media houses, broadcast stations and other people using Twitter in Nigeria, the perpetual order sought in this suit might be rendered nugatory.”

    Details later…

     

  • Insecurity: Engage separatists to guarantee peace, Falana tells FG

    Insecurity: Engage separatists to guarantee peace, Falana tells FG

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Femi Falana, has urged the Federal Government to engage various separatists groups in the country to douse tensions and agitations.

    Falana made the appeal while speaking at the South-West Zonal Public Hearing of the House of Representatives Special Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos on Wednesday.

    The legal luminary, who spoke on behalf of Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), said that government should engage rather than declare war on separatists groups.

    “We are suggesting that the Federal Government should enter into meaning dialogue with all separatists groups so that perceived injustice can be addressed.

    “This is the only way to guarantee peace in the country,” he said.

    Falana urged the members of the National Assembly to take over the control of the nation’s economy and ensure that every spending go through appropriation.

    “Right now, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the IMF and World Bank have taken over the control of the economy of the country.

    “We want to appeal to you, don’t allow the Executives to withdraw money from the Federation account to another account without appropriation of the National Assembly,” he added.

    Falana stressed the need for the National Assembly to ensure that the Social Security Bill worked to tackle some of the security challenges facing the nation.

    According to him, the country has to address unemployment and take care of the unemployed so that the rich can sleep with their two eyes closed.

    Also speaking at the public hearing, Prof. Festus Olubodun of the Voices for Food Security called for quick passage of the long-standing bill on food as a human right in Nigeria.

    Olubodun said: “We respectfully demand the passage of the Right to Food Bill now before the expiration of the present Assembly.

    “We are here today, with our message coded in the document herewith delivered to political aspirants, titled: The Hungry And The Rest Of Us A Food Security And Right To Food Manifesto For Nigeria.”

    The don said that food was a fundamental human right, not just mere human need and it was a Universal Human Right to tackle some of the security challenges.

    In her remarks, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Deputy Chief Whip, House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee on Constitution Review for the South West assured all stakeholders that their submissions and recommendations would be looked into.

  • Insecurity: Falana, Falz, others protest in Lagos

    Insecurity: Falana, Falz, others protest in Lagos

    Revered human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), and his artiste son, Folarin, aka Falz, along with a huge number of Lagosians took to the streets on Monday to demonstrate against the insecurity and poverty destroying the country.

    The activists, under the aegis of the Peoples Alternative Political Movement, marched from the busy Ikeja Bus Stop to the Governor’s Office through the Secretariat to the Lagos State House of Assembly chanting protest songs.

    The protest, which was tagged, ‘Enough is Enough’, lasted for several hours as youths carried placards which read, ‘No to Exploitation and Multiple Taxation’, ‘Provide Jobs or Unemployment Benefits for Youths’, ‘Provide Security in Schools’, ‘End Kidnapping and Banditry’ and ‘Stop Killings, Secure Nigeria’.

    The demonstrators which included trade unions, civil society, students, farmers and peasants, were led by Jaye Gaskiya, a foremost activist.

    Gaskiya said the protest was organized to express displeasure over how badly the country had deteriorated.

    He expressed worry that Nigeria, characterized by extreme poverty is moving towards social mayhems due to exploitation of the people.

     

  • Nigeria on verge of collapse, 2023 threatened – Falana

    Nigeria on verge of collapse, 2023 threatened – Falana

    Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana on Thursday said Nigeria is on the verge of collapse as the 2023 general election is threatened in view of series of attacks on INEC offices.

    Falana spoke at the final sitting of the Senate Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution, South West, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Zonal Public Hearing, Lagos Center, held in Ikeja, under the chairmanship of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, representing Lagos Central.

    According to Falana, Nigeria is ruled by rule of the rulers and not rule of law, lamenting that people commit all manner of crime and got away with it because there are no sanctions.

    “This must change. The Social Security Bill must also work so that jobless people can get stipends pending when they will get full employment. What can we do very quickly to save this country which is on the verge of collapse? If you don’t want people to break away from Nigeria, we must give them confidence and sense of belonging, don’t declare a war,” he said.

    Falana said for the constitutional amendment to be fruitful, for Nigeria to have genuine outputs from this meeting, peace must reign.

    He stated that Nigeria’s problem must be addressed frontally, as well as give people the confidence of peace and inclusion if the government must kill the cries for secession.

    “In fact, in some parts of the country, the 2023 elections are already threatened. “INEC offices are being burnt, police stations are being burnt. In that kind of atmosphere, we cannot pretend that there is political stability in our country.

    “Essentially, I am making a case for the poor, the masses of our people who are generally not represented in fora of this nature which are most times for the elites and privileged among our people,” he added.

    The rights lawyer explained that chapter two of the constitution guaranteed the right to education, health, living minimum wage, good adequate housing, unemployment benefits, among others, but that members of the ruling class conspired and agreed, regardless of political affiliation, that these provisions shall not be enforceable or made justiciable.

    “But unless we are prepared to make these provisions justiciable and enforceable, this country will know no peace. Whatever constitution will come forth after now must make justiciable the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state without which there will be no political stability in Nigeria,” he said.

    Falana submitted that the Child Rights Act enacted in 2003 be made applicable throughout Nigeria, adding that as of today, only 25 states have adopted the law, “but even then, not fully implemented. Unfortunately, it is states where banditry, kidnapping and terrorism thrive that have refused to adopt or domesticate the law, and that is where banditry, terrorism, and kidnappers recruit daily.

    “We also advocate a 50/50 representation for men and women in government. We should emulate other African countries where women even take a larger percentage in government affairs.”

  • Open grazing ban: You will be wasting precious time if you think presidency will act on your resolutions, Falana tells Southern Governors

    Open grazing ban: You will be wasting precious time if you think presidency will act on your resolutions, Falana tells Southern Governors

    Human rights lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has commended the southern governors for banning open grazing in the 17 southern states of the country.

    Falana, who spoke during a monitored Channels Television interview on Wednesday asked the governors to back their ban on open grazing with a legal instrument to enable the prosecution of offenders.

    He also asked the governors to ensure state attorneys general come together and put in machinery for translating the resolutions into laws.

    “I have read the resolutions and for me, the governors have done very well. They need to mobilise their northern colleagues, they need to walk their talk because if you expect that the presidency will act on this resolution, the governors may be wasting their precious time,” he said.

    “Each of the governors will have to make enabling laws to translate the decision in the communiqué to legal instruments.”

    The popular lawyer also reacted to the governors’ demand for restructuring of the country, coupled with the issue of control of resources.

    He said their resolution was timely, especially as it relates to their quest for fiscal federalism in the country.

    Falana added, “For the entire country, these resolutions will be very useful; they have come at the right time, not too late, the governors have now formally joined the campaign for restructuring.”

    His comments come 24 hours after the regional governors converged at the Delta State Government House in Asaba to hold talks on the state of the nation.

    After the meeting on Tuesday, the regional governors announced a ban on open grazing in all the 17 Southern states.

    They also recommended that the Federal Government should support willing states to develop alternative and modern livestock management systems.

    They called on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency and importance, address Nigerians on the frightening state of insecurity across the nation and convoke a national dialogue.

    The meeting followed the worsening insecurity in the country ranging from terrorism to banditry, militancy and calls for secession.

  • Nigeria now a failed state – Falana

    Nigeria now a failed state – Falana

    Legal activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, declared, on Thursday, that Nigeria has become a failed state; regretting that the government has lost the monopoly of violence to the armed gangs.

    Besides, he pointed out that apart from the manipulation of ethnicity and religion and the use of brute force the federal and state governments have run out of ideas and are incapable of finding lasting solutions to the worsening security challenge facing the country.

    Falana, a guest speaker at Omotoye Olorode @80 Commemorative Anniversary Public Lecture was speaking on: “Labour and the Quest for Nigeria’s National Development: Reflections and Prognosis on the Way Forward.”

    He spoke at an event where the former INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, who stated that a new Nigeria is possible, was the chairman, and Prof.Member Genye, as well as Dr Abubakar Sokoto Mohammed, were the discussants.

    According to Falana: “It is crystal clear that the neocolonial state has lost the monopoly of violence to the armed gangs. That is a sign of failed state.”

    He added: “The negotiations between bandits in power and bandits in the bush have yielded no positive results. Since 2009, the armed forces have been waging counter-insurgency operations in the North-East region. Realising that the armed forces are ill-equipped and ill-motivated the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, General Yusuf Buratai has predicted that the war on terror will last for another period of 20 years.

    “Since the Nigeria Police Force has been demobilised from maintaining law and order by successive regimes the overstretched armed forces have been deployed and mandated to free many communities that have been overrun by nihilist forces in the various states.”

    He warned that having been overwhelmed by the security challenge, the ruling class will not hesitate to sabotage the democratic process or plunge the country into another civil war.

    He emphasised that the state was incapable of ending kidnapping or rescuing abducted citizens and foreigners, adding that in this circumstance, a ransom is paid by family members and friends to secure the release of victims of abductions from captivity.

    He said with the worsening insecurity in all states of the federation and the federal capital territory, it is feared that the country may either break up or engage in a full-scale civil war.

    He called on the Federal Government to embark on mass recruitment of military and police personnel, equip and motivate them, rather than deceiving Nigerians that the United States (US) would send their troops down to Nigeria, even while the US was withdrawing their troops from other countries like Afghanistan.

    Falana said: “Instead of giving Nigerians the false impression that the United States is going to send troops to defend them the Federal Government should be compelled to embark on mass recruitment of military and police personnel, equip and motivate them to defend every part of the country.

    “In addition, all state and local governments should proceed to set up defence committees constituted by young men and women in every community to collaborate with the Police in securing the lives and properties of all citizens.”

    In his intervention, Prof Jega pointed out that a new Nigeria is possible and called on labour leaders to wake up.

  • Why FG must leave Sunday Igboho alone now – Falana

    Why FG must leave Sunday Igboho alone now – Falana

    Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has adduced reason why the Federal Government should leave self-acclaimed activist, Sunday Igboho alone.

    He said the nation has lots of issues facing her which must be addressed urgently instead of seeking to arrest Igboho.

    Falana, in a statement on Sunday said instead of asking the police to arrest Igboho and possibly detain him, the Federal Government should take urgent steps to address the allegations of lopsided appointments and violent attacks on farmers by armed herders.

    He said as a matter of urgency, the Buhari administration should confront the worsening insecurity in the country.

    According to him, the war on counter-insurgency should be extended to armed herders and bandits.

    Falana stated that at the same time, the crises of youth unemployment and mass poverty should be addressed without any further delay.

    He added that the Federal and state governments should implement pro-people’s programmes to discourage Nigerians from campaigning for the balkanisation of the country.

  • CCT Chairman liable to five-year jail term over ‘Biafran Boys’ comment

    CCT Chairman liable to five-year jail term over ‘Biafran Boys’ comment

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has said the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Chairman, Danladi Umar, risk a five-year jail term for using “Biafran boys” to describe the traders he had an altercation with when he assaulted a security guard at Banex Plaza in Abuja.

    Umar was caught on video punching a security guard following a disagreement on the plaza’s parking space.

    The CCT Spokesperson, Ibraheem Al-Hassan, had in a statement said the guard threatened Umar, while some “Biafran boys” also harassed him.

    Hassan later said it was Umar who asked him to use “Biafran boys” in the statement.

    In a statement on Saturday, Falana said the phrase amounted to xenophobia which contravened the cybercrime law.

    Falana said section 26 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015, prohibits the use of “racist or xenophobic material” in any written or printed material.

    He added that such a person was liable to be prosecuted for the serious offence and penalty for the offence is five year’s imprisonment and a minimum N10 million fine.”

    The statement read, “The use of the words “Biafra Boys” in the statement (produced through a computer system or network) on the instructions of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and distributed to the media last week constitutes a contravention of section 26 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015.

    “The Act prohibits the use of “racist or xenophobic material” in any written or printed material which advocates, promotes or incites hatred, discrimination or violence, against any individual group of individuals, based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin, as well as a religion if used as a pretext for any of these factors.

    “The person alleged to have suggested the use of the xenophobic words is liable to be prosecuted for the serious offence. The penalty for the offence is five year’s imprisonment and a minimum N10 million fine.”

  • Falana blasts U.S. Govt: Your report on Lekki Toll Gate shootings contradictory, misleading

    Falana blasts U.S. Govt: Your report on Lekki Toll Gate shootings contradictory, misleading

    Popular human rights activist and lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) on Thursday said a report by the United States of America (U.S.A) on Lekki Toll Plaza killings is contradictory and misleading.

    He also said the report was prejudicial in view of the current sitting of the panel of enquiry set up by the Lagos State government into the matter.

    The lawyer urged the panel members to ignore it.

    In a statement in Lagos, Falana said the report attempted to cover up the killings at Lekki and other parts of the state from October 20 to 27, 2020.

    He said: “On the one hand, the report claimed that the members of the security forces were enforcing curfew by firing into the air to disperse protesters at the toll plaza. On the other hand, the report states that some protesters had turned violent after criminal elements infiltrated them and so the security forces fired protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.”

    The lawyer noted that the report did not mention the detachment of soldiers, who he said allegedly caused the mayhem.

    “Do soldiers shoot into the air to enforce curfew in the United States? How can the United States Government be allowed to treat the proceedings before a properly constituted Judicial Panel of Enquiry so contemptuously?” he asked.

    Falana added: “The report is prejudicial in every material particular. It should be ignored by the Judicial Panel as it is designed to preempt the evidence being adduced by the survivors of the barbaric attack.”

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the United States Government had in its report on Wednesday said that information on the number of fatalities recorded during the #ENDSARS protests in Lekki Tollgate last year, is not available.

    According to the US Department of State’s 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, “Accurate information on fatalities resulting from the shooting was not available at year’s end”.