Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has dared the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to report him to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee over his (Falana’s) analysis of the Supreme Court judgment on the Rivers State politucal crisis.

Falana, in a statement on Sunday, titled “I Did Not Lie Against the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” accused Wike of trying in vain to incite the Supreme Court against him.

The SAN said contrary to Wike’s claim, he did not lie or misrepresent the Supreme Court’s decision concerning the defection of 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Falana dismissed Wike’s claims as “spurious and tendentious in every material particular,” accusing the minister of attempting to incite the apex court against him.

Wike had publicly criticised Falana during a press conference in Abuja, asserting that the senior lawyer misrepresented the Supreme Court’s ruling on Channels TV.

Wike said, “If someone of Femi Falana’s calibre can go on national television and lie, it’s very serious. Lies can cause a lot of crises.

”In response, Falana explained, “Mr. Wike subjected me to another scurrilous attack in a press conference, where he alleged that I lied about the defection status of certain legislators during my appearance on Channels TV.”

He added that the issue of the lawmakers’ defection was still pending before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt when the Supreme Court made its ruling.

Falana clarified, “I did not lie against the Supreme Court in respect of the judgment in question.

All I said was that the matter of the defection of the 27 legislators was raised suo motu and determined by the eminent Justices of the apex court.

”He further asserted that there were video tapes and a sworn affidavit in which the lawmakers confirmed their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Falana emphasised that his right to criticise court judgments is protected by both the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights law.

“My fundamental right to criticise the decisions of courts is guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” he said.

The SAN accused Wike of hypocrisy, pointing out that the minister has a history of attacking judges when rulings do not align with his political views.

Falana added, “Unlike Mr. Wike, who calls judges names whenever they disagree with his politics of opportunism, I have always criticised the judgments of domestic and regional courts with utmost decorum and in good faith.”

He referenced a famous statement by the late Justice Oputa in the Adegoke Motors Limited v. Dr. Babatunde Adesanya case: “We are final not because we are infallible; rather, we are infallible because we are final,” highlighting the judiciary’s openness to criticism.

Falana also quoted former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, who once said, “You have the responsibility of drawing our attention to where things are going wrong or on the verge of going wrong.

”Falana challenged Wike to take legal action if he believed Falana had breached professional conduct.

“Since he has become the unsolicited defender of the judiciary, I challenge him to report me to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for professional misconduct,” Falana said.

On the issue of legislative defection, Falana warned that the Supreme Court’s recent stance—requiring proof of defection through a party’s membership register—could embolden “unpatriotic politicians to justify political prostitution in Nigeria.

”He urged the court to adhere to its earlier rulings, such as in Attorney-General of the Federation v. Abubakar and Abegunde v. Ondo State House of Assembly, where it ruled that legislators who defect automatically lose their seats.

Falana concluded that Wike’s attempts to discredit him had failed.

“It is indubitably clear that the allegation leveled against me by Mr. Wike is spurious… He has failed in his desperate bid to incite the Justices of the Supreme Court against me without any basis whatsoever.

”In a recent media outburst, Wike taunted Falana for losing a case he had won at the Supreme Court, dubbing him “a television lawyer.”

Falana chose not to engage with Wike’s comments at the time, stating, “Mr. Wike is the only life bencher in Nigeria who has never handled a case in any trial court or appellate court.

”Falana further added, “It is no crime if a lawyer loses a case in any court. Only a corrupt lawyer wins all cases in all courts.”

Amid renewed violence in Plateau and Benue states that has claimed over 100 lives in recent weeks, Vice President Kashim Shettima is expected to visit Plateau State today (Monday) as part of federal efforts to stem the tide of attacks and foster lasting peace.

The visit comes days after gunmen launched deadly attacks on Bokkos and Bassa communities in Plateau, attracting public outrage and deepening calls for urgent government intervention.

Confirming the Vice President’s visit, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed during a tour of affected communities in Bassa on Saturday that Shettima’s visit was directed by President Bola Tinubu himself.

“Mr. President is deeply concerned about these killings. That is why the National Security Adviser was here last week, and now the Vice President is coming to engage stakeholders directly,” Yilwatda stated.

During his visit, Shettima is expected to convene a high-level stakeholders’ meeting aimed at enhancing security coordination and strengthening local peace initiatives.

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, who also visited the communities with top military commanders, including Maj. Gen. Folusho Oyinlola, assured residents of the Federal Government’s commitment to justice and security.

“We are investigating seriously. We are on the trail of the perpetrators and, by God’s grace, they will be brought to justice,” Badaru said.

“Support programmes for victims, especially widows, have also been launched, and more help will come to ease their pain,” he added.

Meanwhile, a former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), has once again called on Nigerians to rise and defend themselves.

Speaking at a public function in his hometown, Takum, Taraba State, Danjuma reiterated a warning he gave five years ago, arguing that relying solely on government security forces is no longer realistic.

“The warning I gave years ago remains valid. Nigerians must rise and defend themselves before these bandits overrun the entire country,” he said.

Danjuma expressed sorrow over the ongoing killings in Benue and Plateau states, describing them as evidence of the government’s failure to secure the lives and property of its citizens.

“We must be proactive. We cannot continue to watch helplessly while our people are massacred. Enough is enough,” he stressed.

Also, the Plateau Youth Council, Northern Zone, condemned the attacks as deliberate and genocidal, rather than communal clashes as claimed by federal officials.

Addressing journalists in Jos, PYC Northern Coordinator, Samson Chiroma, said, “These are not random clashes. These are systematic attempts to displace our people, coinciding with the beginning of the wet farming season.

This is genocide, plain and simple.”Chiroma accused Fulani militias of carrying out the attacks and faulted the Federal Government’s response as inadequate and detached from reality.

“If the authorities are serious about stopping these killings, they must start by arresting those making inciting statements. Otherwise, it will appear that some people are above the law,” he said.

He called for urgent reinforcement of Operation Rainbow, the state’s local security outfit, through recruitment and retooling to better protect vulnerable communities.

• Lion/ Getty Images

A 14-year-old girl has been killed by a lion on the outskirts of Nairobi, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said.

The child was snatched from a residential compound on a ranch next to Nairobi National Park, according to the conservation agency.

The alarm was raised by another teenager and KWS rangers followed tracks to the nearby Mbagathi River, where they found the primary school girl’s remains.

The lion has not been found but KWS said it had set a trap and deployed search teams to look for the animal.

(BBC)