Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has called on the Federal Government to be transparent with Nigerians over reports of an alleged coup plot in the country.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme on Wednesday, Falana said the government has yet to convincingly dismiss reports that some persons were arrested in connection with the alleged plot.
Responding to claims that the issue was a delicate security matter, Falana maintained that reports of arrests were already in circulation. He stressed that transparency would help the government mobilise public support against anti-democratic elements.
Falana also commented on the recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who drew attention to violence in Nigeria. He said that while Trump may have framed the issue as attacks on Christians, the broader concern was the government’s failure to protect all citizens.
Falana said: “You know, a lot of conspiracy theories are going on, and as a lawyer, I can only speak of what I know that are within the public domain. As far as I’m concerned, the government is making more money on the sale of oil. Apart from removal of fuel subsidy, the government has also been able to increase oil production in our country.
“For the majority of our people, they remain economically disabled. And when people are planning a coup, they take advantage of mass anger in the land to strike. Government has said there was no attempt to coup. As far as I’m concerned, the government has to come up very soon, because it has not been able to dismiss reports of arrest of the alleged coup plotters. The government has to be more honest with Nigerians if this happened. If it was going to happen. The government must come up.”
When reminded it was a delicate and security matter, and that the military authorities had denied any coup attempt, Falana continued: “No, arrests have been made. This is being reported. So at the time it was denied, the government was still trying to pick up, arrest have not been made. Information has leaked out.
“So the government must be honest with Nigerians and react to those reports one way or the other. And there is a way you wish you also mobilise Nigerians, if you are honest with them, to fight anti-democratic forces. The government must go back to the drawing table. Who could have led it having listened to those who have been arrested? One way or the other, address the problems.
“As regards what is going on in the United States? Again? Yes the two events, people may want to analyse them, but what is important is the fact that Mr. Trump has drawn global attention to a crisis in Nigeria, which is that gunmen are killing citizens in Nigeria. If he tries to reduce it to attack on some Christians, that is his own problem.
“But for us as Nigerians and for the government, the government has a duty under the Constitution to guarantee the life and property of every person living in Nigeria. If criminal gangs are now in control of force in the country, balance of force in our country is in favour of criminal element, the government must review its own counter-insurgency operations with a view to protecting Nigerians.”
