Nigerian rapper and activist Folarin Falana, widely known as Falz, has urged citizens to hold their lawmakers accountable for the country’s rising insecurity, stressing the need for more proactive measures beyond online activism.
In a video shared on his Instagram page on Monday, Falz criticised the government for providing limited details regarding the release of kidnapped victims in Kwara and Niger states. He referred to the President’s announcement of the freedom of 38 worshippers abducted from a church in Kwara State and 50 individuals of more than 300 kidnapped in Niger State, stressing that information on arrests, ransom payments, or perpetrators being brought to justice was absent.
“There was no mention of any arrests being made, no mention of whether any ransom was paid, no mention of anyone being apprehended and brought to book. This does not cut it. It is just not enough,” he said.
Falz expressed frustration with what he described as passive responses on social media.
“I’m tired of one tweet here, one hashtag there, one post there, complaining on social media. We need to do more. We need to do a lot more,” he stated.
He indicated that some individuals had approached him about organising a peaceful protest later in the week, which he described as a “great avenue,” but he stressed the urgency of immediate and strategic action.
According to Falz, citizens should directly contact their representatives and senators via calls, texts, emails, and WhatsApp messages, suggesting that coordinated communication would compel lawmakers to respond.
“If there is one message that they’re consistently getting, they would have no choice but to listen,” he said.
He also urged Nigerians to demand a public hearing on security failures, broadcast live on television and streamed online, noting the discrepancy between the “billions and billions” allocated for arms and ammunition and the current state of the military. He raised questions about military preparedness, citing ambushed convoys and the murder of an Army general on video.
Falz said he had provided a message template for citizens to contact lawmakers, along with a link to official contact details available on the National Assembly’s website. “This is a national emergency. We can’t continue like this,” he concluded.
Recent attacks include the abduction of 26 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, and 215 students with 12 teachers from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, of whom 50 escaped on Sunday.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq also announced the release of 38 abducted worshippers from Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government.
