Nigeria

RevolutionNow: Buhari govt knows those causing unrest in Nigeria - Falana

Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at 8:30 AM by Khadijah Thabit

- Femi Falana says President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration knows those causing unrest in the country and should go after them

- Falana said the democracy the current administration was turning into a rickety civil rule was achieved by the struggle by democracy agitators

- The legal luminary recalled how even under colonial rule, Nigerians had fought for their rights; pointing out that lectures on the need for revolution had been organized by nationalists

Femi Falana (SAN), activist and human rights lawyer, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration knows those causing unrest in the country and should go after them.

The legal luminary made the assertion on Monday, August 19 while speaking at the Coalition for Revolution (CORE)'s working consultative assembly, with the theme: ‘Democracy, State Repression and The State of Insecurity in Nigeria’, The Nation reports.

Legit.ng gathers that due to police disruption, the event, which was scheduled to start at 11am, did not hold. Three participants were allegedly arrested as the police barricaded the venue.

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Falana, condemning the alleged arrest as well as the detention of Omoyele Sowore and other #RevolutionNow protesters, called on the federal government to deploy security forces to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other crimes that breach public peace, and not protesters.

He said the democracy the current administration was turning into a rickety civil rule was achieved by the struggle by democracy agitators.

He said: “Our right to assembly and associate peacefully in the country is constitutional. I want to assure you that we are going to ensure that all the rights of Nigerian people that we have fought for and won will not be allowed to be eroded by any regime in this country.

“The President Buhari administration knows those breaching the peace of the country: terrorists, armed robbers, coup plotters and others.

“Those who went to the street to protest in exercise of their right to assembly and complained against injustice, corruption and maladministration in the country cannot be said to have breached the law of the country.

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“Therefore, the man (Sowore) who was arrested and detained before the protest will be adequately defended at the law court. This is because he has committed no offence.”

Falana recalled how even under colonial rule, Nigerians had fought for their rights. He pointed out that lectures on the need for revolution had been organized by nationalists like the late Chief Anthony Enahoro.

He said: “So, let the authority in Abuja know that the call for revolution is not new in Nigeria. Political leaders in this country have over time called for revolution and they have never been arrested and prosecuted.

“If there is a mistake now, such must be corrected. This country belongs to all of us.

“Before today, they claimed that we must not engage in any activity on the street. We are trying to gather inside the hall, they claimed that we cannot do that. But because of our resolve, we won.