One of Nigeria’s legal luminaries, human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, SAN has said that the country was in a crisis of terrorism, banditry and armed robbery that unless these menaces are addressed, the country’s style of democracy is not genuine.

 

He disclosed this on Tuesday at a protest in Lagos at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park organized by the People’s Alternative Front.

 

He explained that there was no democracy in the country that is why he is not among those in the gathering to celebrate democracy.

 

He reiterated that the way to solve the problem of insecurity in the country is for the government to provide adequate funding for the Nigeria Police.

 

He said, “We want the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to be adequately funded, equipped and motivated so that the security of our people can be guaranteed,

 

“We do not want the military involvement in the security of the country. Under the constitution, the Military is to defend the territorial integrity of the country, while the Police Force is obligated to discharge internal security,

 

“It is part of the legacy of military dictatorship that the government has abandoned the Nigeria Police Force and is currently using the armed forces to secure the country, including the management of elections”.

 

Speaking on the responsibility of the government, he said, “Section 14 of the constitution provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

 

He urged the Federal Government to utilize the recovered stolen money by past politicians the settle the issues of unemployment in the country.

 

He said, “Right now, the Buhari administration claimed to have recovered N600 billion even from whistle-blowing policy alone, while the EFCC and others have recovered over N700 Billion.

 

“We are asking the Government to deploy the bulk of the money to take care of the youths to empower young people so that they will move away from criminality.

 

“You cannot talk of security, without addressing the unemployment of the youths, disenchantment of the frustration of the youth. So, beyond the architect of security, there must also address unemployment”.

 

Falana said the essence of the protest is to awake the consciousness of Nigerians to the dehumanization and the devaluation of lives in the country.