Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has lambasted the Federal and Benue State Governments for their continued failure to prosecute suspects arrested in connection with the spate of killings and violent crimes across Benue State.
In a strongly worded statement issued under the platform of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), which he chairs, Falana expressed deep concern over the recurring pattern of arrests without justice. He noted that although numerous suspects have been apprehended over the years for crimes ranging from illegal possession of firearms to mass killings and kidnappings, very few are ever charged to court, let alone convicted.
Falana’s remarks came in response to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent directive to the Nigeria Police Force during his visit to Benue, instructing them to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the recent wave of violence in the state. While acknowledging the president’s concern, Falana dismissed the directive as potentially symbolic, pointing out that similar orders in the past had failed to yield tangible results.
He further criticised the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for accusing residents of Yelwata community of shielding criminals. Falana described the statement as an attempt to shift blame to already victimised communities rather than addressing the systemic lapses in governance and security.
The senior advocate referenced multiple instances this year alone where arrests were made in connection with violent crimes in Benue, yet no meaningful prosecutions have followed. He warned that continued inaction sends the wrong message and emboldens perpetrators.
Falana called on the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Benue State, Fidelis Mnyim, to urgently take steps to ensure that justice is served, stressing that treating suspected killers as sacred cows is unacceptable in any democratic society.
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