Understanding Falana and his phobia for Nigerian Army By Richard Murphy

By Richard Murphy 

An American international gospel evangelist, Rev. John MacArthur recently ruminated; "It is confusing to watch  people demanding  justice by violating laws." There seems to be a conflict of law  tormenting Nigeria's human rights activists  over the bloodily raging  #EnSARS  protests in Nigeria.

Leading the pack of rights activists is a lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN. He is vociferous in threats to drag the Chief of Army Staff( COAS) Lt. Gen. TY Buratai to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over watery  claims that soldiers deployed to assist civil security restore sanity have indulged in rights abuses.. 

It is understandable that citizens are entitled to enormous rights under democratic Governments. But what must be clearly understood is also the exercise of these rights within the armbit of the same laws. It's a reciprocal mutuality. That's why the ponder of Rev. MacArthur is instructive. 

It's naive and senseless to breach laws in the guise of demanding justice. This tendency leaves the lawbreaker vulnerable to some unsavory treatment by the same laws.

Falana and his brigades of activists have every information long before now on the abused #EndSARS protests. It is not controvertible that these are no longer peaceful protests as insured by democratic tenets; but bloodily violent riots with all it's gores and nasty repercussions. 

By this development, the state has the sacred obligation to maintain public  law and order, as well as protect the rights of law abiding citizens. Deployment of soldiers occurs when the gravity of public expressions  of discontent becomes subversive and attempting to compromise national security as it is glaring over #EndSARS protests for days now. 

Strangely, Falana and his merchantile activists are less concerned about the brazen and violent violation of the human rights of other Nigerians by the protesters.  The  so-called activists are more concerned about the rights of the lawbreakers and bloodsuckers in the guise of sticking to stipulations of the law.

But no action  from Falana on these half-hearted  human rights campaigns  shudders anybody again because his antecedents are now known. He neither does it for  philanthropic or humanitarian reasons. 

The rights lawyer  has abused the culture of human rights activism so thoroughly. It is expected because Falana understands the personal gains on expending his energies on  this investment which richly  services his bank accounts. 

If there is anyone, anywhere in the world who understands conflict as a business,  it must be Femi Falana, a self-styled human rights activist.  Therefore, if there are no human rights issues in the country, he allegedly  invents one  once a crisis occurs through twisted narrations and fabricated tales.

He has the knack. Falana follows his contrived tales on alleged humans rights violations by making a hell of noise until it attracts the attention of the international community.

And soldiers are Falana's favourite victims of his antics on human rights. The lawyer's deep-seated hatred for the Nigerian Army has morphed into phobia. Falana is aware the Nigerian Army knows he conspires with foreign sponsors to undermine security in Nigeria. So, he has morbid fear of  the Army.

Therefore, he uses the instrument  of human rights at his disposal and  credentials as lawyer  to appear bold or fight back the Army  by fruitlessly trying the trick of  intimidation. But a soldier is never intimidated or coward. 

And Falana's trade in human rights is allegedly  motivated by the handsome USDollars some foreign philanthropists and  organisations have invested in battling violated human rights of people globally. But there are key conditions which must be met to drew assistance from the juicy funds set  by these organizations for the human rights project.

A basic criteria for sponsors of human rights projects is the established existence of a conflict between the state and the citizens. Happily for Falana and soulmates, there are a galore of insecurities in Nigeria, which always dwarfs the capacity of civil security to handle. And the Armed Forces must intervene.

A fertile ground is automatically laid for Falana to ply his trade. He scouts for ways to falsely implicate soldiers over  allegations of human rights.

Once this happens, his clients who are usually foreign-based begin to pay for his services  in USDollars. No wonder himself and son were very vocal in  instigatng  the #EndSARS protests that eventually led to the killing of innocent Nigerians and massive destruction of properties, in addition to general breakdown of law and order in some states.  

With fake news merchants on the prowl  in town and vibrant social media activists claiming  that the Army was shooting protesters in Lekki, Falana immediately activated his sense of business.

The faulty and spurious claims on soldiers  were apt for Falana  to grant  interviews and spit fire over alleged human rights violations baselessly.

But Falana's deception is unmasked by Nigerians. He cannot intimidate the Nigerian Military who are out to restore and  safeguard public security sanity. Soldiers have been engaged in countless Internal Security (IS) in the country. They have always performed these special assignments with exceptional professionalism and patriotism. All Nigerians know Falana and his self-acclaimed gang of human rights activists  better now.

Falana's smear campaigns against soldiers in the line of duty on the #EndSARS  violent protests are  another puerile and worthless attempt. Let him continue to embolden subversive elements; but think it is feasible to make soldiers false culprits.

Lawyer Falana should take counsel from the COAS's reaction to his tissue of lies and threats; Gen. Buratai has remained unmoved and resolute in the defence of Nigeria against subversive elements.

His words; “Criminal elements are threatening us with travel ban but we are not worried because we must remain in this country to make it better. The NA (Nigerian Army) has been aware of the grand design by the sponsors of the protests to draw it into the crisis. The plan was to embark on massive propaganda to discredit the military and the government so as to set the people against the NA once it is called out to aid the civil authorities."

He added, "Now the detractors alongside their local and international collaborators have mischievously and deliberately misrepresented troops’ efforts to ensure compliance with the curfew imposed by legitimate civil authorities in Lagos and other states.”

Murphy is a security expert and wrote from Calabar.

FACT-CHECK: Did Katsina State Government squander N52.6 billion on security?

By Daily Nigeria 

CLAIM: A Kaduna-based businessman and indigene of Katsina State, Mahdi Shehu claimed that the Katsina State Government under governor Aminu Bello Masari has spent N52.6 billion under the guise of security in the state.

VERDICT: Careful scrutiny of documents show that the claim is unsubstantiated. Documents adduced to support the claim have doubtful authenticity. The claim is therefore largely FALSE.

EXPLANATION: Mahdi Shehu has lately made a name for himself as the fiercest critic of Katsina State Government and some officials of the state. He routinely brandishes documents purporting to show alleged financial malfeasance and illegalities committed by the Aminu Masari-led administration. Mr Shehu does this through audio and video clips circulated on platforms such as WhatsApp and by releasing purported documents to back up his claims.

In July, The Guardian newspaper first reported his most sensational claim yet; the allegation that the state government has squandered N52.6 billion on security. This caught the attention of people from Katsina and beyond and has led to claims and counter-claims on both sides.

On September 4, demonstrators besieged the Kaduna State headquarters of the State Security Services, SSS, to protest Mr Shehu’s invitation and questioning by the security outfit.

Daily Nigeria Check revealed that the businessman was invited to answer to the weighty allegations he raised against individuals who he alleged to have partaken in what he called theft of the state’s resources. Among those he mentioned was the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai.

In view of drop in monthly subventions, the figure mentioned by Mr Shehu, N52.6 billion, is a jaw-dropping figure to have been spent on security even for a state battling with security issues like Katsina. Katsina state is one of the most hit states by banditry in the northwest, which created humanitarian crisis as marauding armed men moved from one village to another terrorising villagers and kidnapping innocent citizens. It was a new experience for a once tranquil state.

To be sure, while security is under the Exclusive List of the Nigerian Constitution, meaning that it is the prerogative of the federal government, states contribute a huge chunk of their resources in financing aspects of federal forces such as the police and armed forces, in the name of security.

State governors have complained about how the burden of provision of operational vehicles and other logistics by the police and military increasingly fall on them. This eats deep into the fortunes of states even at a time when available resources get leaner.

A careful scrutiny of the documents being circulated by Mr Shehu show a strait jacket pattern; memo after memo requesting money in the name of security ostensibly from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the State. The so-called memos direct that the monies be paid from the state government’s Security Escrow Account. All the memos are allegedly from the Department of Budget and Economic Planning and signed by one Bature S.N. Danlami.

FACT ONE: Contrary to claims by Mr Shehu in his interviews and documents in circulation, available records show that the state government’s Security Escrow Account is NOT in Fidelity Bank. The Fidelity Bank account number being bandied as the security account is actually that of a new account opened in June to collate payments from sale of auctioned government assets. The statement of that account obtained show that there has NEVER been a debit on the account.

FACT TWO: The purported releases obtained from Mr Shehu for the alleged security expenditure all carry the same stamp of authority; the two signatures of one Bature S.N. Danlami. Curiously, however, the two signatures are identical in all the circulated documents. This raised the biggest credibility question for what is expected to be the proof of the weighty allegations. There is serious improbability, or indeed impossibility, for anyone to sign a document exactly the same way, over the course of three years (2018 to 2020), as Mr Shehu claims.

FACT THREE: Available documents obtained by this newspaper show that what the government spent for purchase of operational vehicles for security agents, logistics support and allowances as support for over five years is actually N5,085,714,929. The breakdown of the amount, which is sighted by our reporter show that the highest spent for a year was N1,279,354,170 in 2019, which the year the state witnessed highest escalation of attacks from the armed bandits, leading to major military operations to root out the miscreants.

CONCLUSION: It is evident from the foregoing that the allegation of the N52.6 billion said to be spent on security is not true, going by the analysis of the claimant’s statements and documents in our possession.

End.

#EndSARS: Gov Sanwo-Olu's Aide, Afonja advocates appointment of more youths, creation of Youths Dept in all Lagos Councils

By Dansu Peter 

Afonja, as he is fondly called by his admirers has called for the appointment of more youths into political offices and the creation of Department of Youths affairs in all 20 local government and 37 local council development areas in Lagos State.

Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu's Senior Special Assistant on Youths Development, Comrade Akanbi Ade Saheed made the call on Tuesday, 27th October 2020 in a press statement signed and released to the media.

The young politician and a staunch supporter of the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the call while urging the Youths of Lagos State to rally round the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his efforts to rebuild Lagos and accedes to the demands of the peaceful protesters of#ENDSARS, which was later characterized by violent conducts of some hoodlums who infiltrated the genuine protesters.

In the press statement seen by News Proof, Afonja said he has already made some recommendations, which includes the Creation of the department of Youth Affairs at local government level just as the Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) department at the local government level. This he said will help to institutionalized the solutions mostly faced by the youths in the state 

READ THE FULL TEXT OF HIS STATEMENT HERE