Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has voiced serious concerns over the increasing trend of charging peaceful protesters with treason in Nigeria.
Falana expressed his apprehensions during a two-day international anti-corruption and climate change conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
Falana criticized what he described as the “trivialization” of treason charges, warning that this approach poses a significant threat to the fundamental rights of Nigerian citizens.
He condemned the practice of labeling citizens as traitors merely for exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest.
“We are witnessing a disturbing trend where dissent is being criminalized under the guise of treason,” Falana stated.
He emphasized that the misuse of such serious charges undermines democracy and stifles freedom of expression in the country.
“How can protesting lead to accusations of treason?” he questioned, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
Falana disclosed that he has been under immense pressure over the past 24 hours, receiving concerns from both within Nigeria and abroad about the growing trend of using treason charges against protesters.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Falana reassured the public that there is no cause for alarm.
He revealed that he has already begun working on the latest case and plans to advise the government, particularly President Bola Tinubu, to instruct the police to drop the charges.
“We are handling the case, and we will recommend to the government, particularly the President, that the police withdraw the charges,” Falana stated.
He stressed that this advice is in the government’s best interest, as a treason charge should not be taken lightly.
“This will be the fifth treason case I will be defending in this country,” Falana pointed out.
“In the previous four cases, the government was forced to withdraw the charges after we turned the trial into a scrutiny of the government’s actions.”
Falana reflected on his past successes in defending clients accused of treason, stressing that such charges should be approached with caution.
He warned that misusing treason charges could backfire on the government, as it has in previous cases, further eroding the credibility of the state’s actions.
As the situation develops, all eyes will be on how the Nigerian government responds to these concerns, with many hoping that the rights to peaceful protest and free expression will be upheld in the face of growing pressure.