Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Federal Government to immediately arrest and prosecute no fewer than 400 individuals allegedly linked to the financing of terrorism, insisting that failure to do so has worsened Nigeria’s insecurity crisis.
Falana also demanded the recovery of an alleged ₦210 trillion reportedly diverted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, saying the funds must be paid into the Federation Account to tackle poverty and insecurity.
The senior lawyer spoke in Lagos on Wednesday while addressing protesters during a nationwide demonstration organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress to protest rising insecurity, economic hardship and what organisers described as government neglect of citizens’ welfare.
Falana said Nigerians across the country were living in fear due to persistent kidnapping, banditry and terrorism, stressing that the primary duty of government, as clearly stated in the 1999 Constitution, was the security and welfare of the people.
“We are gathered here in solidarity with Nigerians who are gripped by insecurity,” Falana said. “The Constitution is clear that the welfare and security of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, yet Nigerians are unsafe.”
He rejected suggestions that Nigeria should seek foreign military intervention to tackle insecurity, recalling the country’s historical resistance to foreign military bases.
“No matter the level of insecurity, we reject any so-called foreign invasion,” he said. “Nigeria has resisted foreign military bases since 1962, and we have the capacity to secure ourselves.”
Falana argued that Nigeria’s past peacekeeping roles in Liberia, Sierra Leone and other African countries showed that the country had sufficient human and natural resources to protect lives and property within its borders.
As the country moves towards 2026, Falana said Nigerians were tired of excuses and demanded concrete action, beginning with the prosecution of alleged terror financiers.
“We are demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of over 400 terrorism financiers arrested by the Buhari administration in 2021,” he said. “The Federal Government has refused to try them, and that is unacceptable.”
He added that insecurity could not be addressed through military force alone, warning that poverty, unemployment and inequality continued to fuel violence.
“Without addressing social and economic insecurity, you cannot end physical insecurity,” Falana said. “If young people have no jobs and are trapped in poverty, insecurity will persist.”
The senior advocate also criticised the Federal Government over the impact of fuel subsidy removal, noting that despite increased revenues, citizens were yet to feel relief.
According to him, government figures showed that monthly allocations to the three tiers of government had risen significantly following improved crude oil production and subsidy removal.
“While about ₦5.6 trillion was shared in May 2023, the three tiers of government are now sharing over ₦2 trillion monthly,” he said, urging authorities to release palliatives for workers, farmers, traders and other vulnerable groups.
Falana further called for the full implementation of the National Social Investment Programme, which provides for cash transfers, empowerment schemes and school feeding.
“These are existing laws,” he said. “We are only demanding their implementation.”
He also urged state Houses of Assembly to ensure adequate funding for welfare programmes in their budgets.
Raising fresh allegations against the oil sector, Falana cited an audit report reportedly submitted to the Senate, which he said indicated that ₦210 trillion had been “criminally diverted” by the NNPCL.
“Let nobody deceive us that there is no money to fight poverty,” he said. “This report must not be swept under the carpet.”
He insisted that the alleged funds be recovered immediately and paid into the Federation Account to address the country’s “urgent national problems.”
Falana also referenced disclosures that about ₦17.1 trillion had been spent on fuel subsidy and pipeline maintenance, stressing the need for transparency and accountability.
Meanwhile, retired Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi has also alleged that the Federal Government failed to prosecute about 400 individuals earlier arrested for allegedly financing terrorism, despite investigations linking them to terror activities.
The protesters vowed to sustain pressure on authorities until concrete steps were taken to address insecurity, poverty and alleged corruption across key sectors of the economy.
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