Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticised Nigerian judges for freeing individuals accused of looting billions of naira meant for arms procurement, warning that such decisions are undermining the fight against terrorism and banditry.
Falana said the courts were “not helping matters” by relying on what he described as dubious technicalities to discharge prominent figures accused of stealing security funds, even as soldiers on the frontlines remain poorly equipped.
Speaking with journalists in his hometown of Ilawe-Ekiti on Saturday, Falana lamented that terrorists and bandits now appear better armed than Nigerian troops because funds meant for weapons and logistics were diverted by “well-known criminal elements.”
According to him, members of the Nigerian Armed Forces are capable of defeating insurgents and bandits without foreign intervention if they are properly equipped and motivated.
“If members of the Armed Forces are well equipped and motivated, they can deal with terrorism and banditry. But due to years of neglect of vital security institutions, ragtag armies of criminal elements are winning the war on terror. It is a shame,” he said.
Falana accused some military officers and their civilian collaborators of stealing funds earmarked for arms procurement, noting that the situation had been worsened by court decisions allowing such suspects to walk free.
“How do you fight terrorism in an environment where money budgeted for arms and ammunition is stolen by well-known criminal elements?” he asked.
Drawing from his experience defending soldiers and officers charged under the Armed Forces Act, Falana said many personnel were willing to prosecute the counter-insurgency war but lacked essential equipment.
He cited instances where courts discharged suspects accused of large-scale theft of security funds, including a former service chief allegedly involved in the diversion of N22.8bn. According to Falana, the Federal High Court freed the suspect on the grounds that he was not tried by a court martial, despite the fact that the charge was money laundering, which falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
He also referenced a former governor accused of stealing N6.9bn from the Office of the then National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, who was discharged without being required to enter a defence.
“A few other military officers and civilians who allegedly stole about N200bn have been asked to go home and enjoy the stolen funds meant for the purchase of military hardware, while our soldiers remain ill-equipped,” Falana said.
He urged the Federal Government to urgently establish a mechanism to recover stolen security funds and redirect them to arms procurement.
“If you equip and motivate your armed forces, Nigeria can fight terrorism and banditry without foreign intervention. Securing Nigeria is the constitutional duty of the government,” he said.
Reacting to the recent US airstrike on a terrorist base in Sokoto and the Federal Government’s claim that it provided intelligence support, Falana cautioned against foreign involvement that could inflame religious tensions.
“Criminals killing Nigerians do not care about religion. The war against terror must not divide our people along religious or ethnic lines,” he warned.
Falana also stressed that insecurity could not be resolved without addressing unemployment and social hardship, noting that idle youths were more vulnerable to criminal recruitment.