Nigerian human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for allowing the police to charge peaceful protesters with treason and terrorism.
Falana’s condemnation came after police arrested 130 protesters, including 29 minors, during demonstrations against Nigeria’s growing economic hardship.
The protests, which erupted in August 2024, were sparked by the country’s rising cost of living, with many blaming the government’s neoliberal policies, strongly influenced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
The Senior Advocate argued that the charges against the protesters were both groundless and unconstitutional, highlighting a troubling pattern of government overreach.
Falana pointed to the deep irony of Tinubu’s actions, given his own history of fleeing the country during General Sani Abacha’s brutal regime in the 1990s.
Back then, Tinubu was forced into exile to avoid the death penalty imposed by Abacha’s military government for his opposition to its oppressive policies.
Falana reminded Nigerians of this painful chapter in the country’s history and how Tinubu, who once faced persecution for speaking out, is now overseeing a government that is arresting its own citizens for exercising their constitutional right to protest.
“Today, under Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria is witnessing similar suppression, with peaceful protesters—including minors—facing charges of treason for opposing economic hardships that have been worsened by neoliberal economic policies,” Falana said.
The protests that led to the mass arrests were peaceful in nature, with demonstrators demanding relief from the severe economic hardship affecting ordinary Nigerians.
Despite the constitutional guarantee of the right to peaceful assembly, the police arrested the protesters and charged them with serious offenses such as treason and incitement to mutiny.
The charges are particularly concerning because, according to Nigeria’s Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022, protests and demonstrations are explicitly excluded from being classified as terrorist acts.
Yet, an ex parte court order allowed the police to detain the suspects for up to 60 days for further investigation, a move that has raised alarms about the government’s growing tendency to use the judicial system to stifle dissent.
Falana has strongly condemned this approach, arguing that it is a deliberate attempt by the government to intimidate Nigerians and prevent them from voicing their concerns.
“The Federal Government set out to use the case of the 130 protesters to discourage Nigerian people from protesting against the harsh living conditions,” he stated.
He added that the charges against the protesters were unjust and that the government was using fear and repression to silence opposition.
Despite international condemnation of the charges, which led to mounting pressure on the government, the authorities have so far not dropped the prosecution. This has raised important questions about Nigeria’s commitment to democratic values and human rights.
Falana has called on the Nigerian government to focus on protecting peaceful protesters rather than prosecuting them.
Instead of charging demonstrators with crimes punishable by death, he argued, the police should be ensuring the safety and security of those participating in lawful protests.
“Instead of exposing the country to avoidable shame by charging protesters with a crime punishable by death, the police should comply with the law by providing security for peaceful assemblies,” he stated.
