Prominent Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), his Afrobeats singer son, Mr Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, alongside civil society organisations, youth groups, among others, on Friday staged a protest in Lagos.
The protest came as Nigeria marked Democracy Day, set aside in remembrance of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely acclaimed to have been won by late Chief MKO Abiola.
Chanting, the protesters converged on the Ikeja Under Bridge, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “No Democracy Without Security,” End Bad Governance,” “End Insecurity and Kidnapping”, “End Hunger,” “Free All Captives Now”, and “End all anti-people policies now,”
Speaking during the protest, Falana called for the immediate release of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State, expressing concern over their welfare in captivity.
According to him, the protest is not only about demanding the rescue of the abducted victims but also about highlighting broader issues of injustice, insecurity and poverty confronting Nigerians.
“We are protesting the kidnapping of our children in Oyo State. We are also protesting injustice in our country, a situation whereby innocent school children in Oyo and Borno states have been in the custody of criminals for several weeks now. We are also protesting injustice meted out to young people who are regularly arrested on the highways by the police. We are protesting hunger and poverty in the land, and we are calling on the government to address these challenges,” he said.
Falana, a human rights advocate, lamented the condition of the abducted children and teachers, and regretted the killing of one of the latter.
He called on the authorities to intensify efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims.
Also addressing the protesters, Falz bemoaned what he described as worsening insecurity and economic hardship across the country.
The entertainer and activist said Nigeria was grappling with increasing cases of kidnappings and killings, urging the government to do more in its responsibility of protecting the citizens.
