A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Femi Falana, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to sanction state Attorneys General who, he alleged, have failed to prosecute suspected terrorists and bandits over the past three years.
He made the appeal during a keynote address at an NBA event marking the 2025 International Human Rights Day on Wednesday.
Falana said legal inaction by some AGs undermines efforts to combat insecurity and contributes to international concerns.
“In the last three years, not less than 1,000 suspected bandits and terrorists had been arrested and paraded by police in those states. In spite of the fact that some of us have shouted ourselves hoarse, not up to 10 have been prosecuted successfully,” he said.
He stressed that all AGs had been authorised to prosecute terrorism, a federal offence, since 2016, but contended that few had taken the required action.
“So, the NBA must call to order and sanction Attorneys General that failed to prosecute terror suspects, bandits and other killers in our country,” he added.
Falana also criticised illegal detention centres, citing Wawa in Niger State and Tiger Base in Imo State, and called for compliance with statutory provisions allowing magistrates and chief judges to monitor detention facilities and grant bail where appropriate.
He argued that effective security requires proper equipping and motivation of serving personnel rather than simply increasing their numbers.
He stressed delays in releasing funds for a satellite facility approved in May 2025, noting that terrorists currently possess superior monitoring capabilities. “The NBA must also support the call for the procurement of equipment that will be necessary to fight terrorists,” he said.
Falana further urged the NBA to ensure that resolutions from conferences are implemented and that lawyers actively defend citizens’ rights under Section 14(2)(c) of the Constitution, which mandates that the security and welfare of Nigerians be the primary purpose of governance.
Falana, SAN, also called on the NBA to ensure that magistrates and chief judges regularly inspect detention facilities and enforce accountability for security personnel.
The legal luminary cited section 34 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and section 70 of the Police Establishment Act, which mandate judicial visits to detention centres at least once a month to review cases, grant bail where appropriate, and recommend sanctions for erring security officers.
Falana also highlighted the legal requirement for every police station to have a resident lawyer, describing it as a potential avenue for employment creation.
He criticised the federal government’s recent call for the recruitment of more soldiers and police officers, stating, “It is not about the number, but about equipping and motivating serving members of the armed forces and police.”
Addressing the country’s technological gap in security operations, Falana pointed out that N20 billion approved by the President in May for a satellite facility had not yet been released. “The terrorists now have better satellite facilities than the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
They can monitor our schools and offices, including the General we just lost, because we do not have the facility to monitor their activities,” he said. He called on the NBA to support the procurement of equipment necessary to combat terrorism.
In their remarks, Justice O. A. Obaseki-Osagie of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria called for protection of Nigerian workers’ rights, while Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, emphasised the need for citizens to project a positive image of the country.
In his welcome address, NBA 1st Vice President Mr. Sabastian Anyia stated that the event aimed to highlight human rights issues affecting Nigeria. “Today, we gather as a people, to remind ourselves of the nation we want to become,” he said.
