Falana: Insecurity and Policy Failures Have Left Nigeria Vulnerable to Trump’s Threats

Senior human rights lawyer Femi Falana has warned that Nigeria is currently “in trouble,” arguing that the country’s consistent failure to address internal security challenges and policy inconsistencies has left it acutely vulnerable to external criticism and diplomatic threats, such as those recently issued by United States President Donald Trump.

Dependable NG reports that Falana made the strong assertion on Wednesday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme. The senior lawyer claimed that successive Nigerian governments have routinely ignored agreed-upon solutions to major recurring national problems, particularly the widespread insecurity and the devastating farmers-herders conflicts.

Citing the political analyst Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, Falana noted that the damaging narrative of “Christian genocide” in Nigeria has been allowed to spread unchallenged in international circles for years due to the Federal Government’s failure to respond effectively or counter the claims. He stated, “According to Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, respected intellectual, this campaign of Christian genocide in Nigeria has been prosecuted for eight years without any challenge from the government.”

Falana criticized the government’s inaction on key resolutions, recalling that the Northern Governors’ Forum, led by then-Governor Simon Lalong, and the Southern Governors’ Forum, led by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, had separately agreed that open grazing should be banned in Nigeria. He expressed astonishment at the continued sight of cattle on major roads, such as the airport road in Abuja, insisting that no modern state operates this way. He proposed the agreed-upon solution of establishing ranches with enclosures for animals to graze, complete with dedicated supplies of water and planted grasses.

The human rights activist also strongly condemned the government’s failure to tackle the rampant kidnapping crisis, where victims’ families are forced to pay huge ransoms to bandits. He argued that the government possesses the necessary technology to track and locate criminals making phone calls, and instead of allowing families to risk paying ransoms, security agencies should “storm the hideout of the criminals.” Falana concluded by asking: “Why have we brought this embarrassment to ourselves as a people, that we are being treated as a colony of the United States of America? We cannot even challenge Mr Trump.”