Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has criticised Nigerian judges for freeing individuals accused of stealing billions of naira meant for arms procurement, saying such decisions undermine the fight against terrorism and banditry.
Speaking to journalists in his Ilawe-Ekiti hometown on Saturday, Falana lamented that soldiers on the frontlines remain poorly equipped while armed groups appear better armed because funds intended for weapons and logistics were diverted by “well-known criminal elements.”
“If the Armed Forces are well equipped and motivated, they can handle terrorism and banditry. But the theft of security funds has left them handicapped,” he said.
Falana accused military officers and their civilian collaborators of embezzling money earmarked for arms and ammunition. He cited cases where a former service chief allegedly stole N22.8 billion but was freed by a Federal High Court, and a former governor accused of diverting N6.9 billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser who was also released without full trial.
He warned that such judicial decisions embolden criminals while demoralising security personnel. Falana urged the Federal Government to establish mechanisms to recover stolen security funds and channel them to arms procurement.
On foreign involvement, Falana cautioned against allowing the US to conduct operations that could inflame religious tensions, referencing the recent airstrike on a terrorist base in Sokoto.
He also stressed that tackling insecurity requires addressing unemployment and social hardship, noting that idle youths are more likely to be drawn into criminal activities.
Falana concluded that securing Nigeria is the constitutional responsibility of the government, and recovery of diverted security funds is critical to empowering the country’s armed forces.
