- Safiu Kehinde
Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has alongside his son and afrobeat singer, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, joined the nationwide protest over insecurity and economic hardship in Nigeria.
The duo spearheaded the June 12 Democracy Day protest in Lagos on Friday.
While addressing the protesters, Falana expressed concern over the condition of the abducted Oyo school students and teachers who have been held captive by suspected terrorists since 15th of May 2026.
The lawyer called for the immediate release of the kidnap victims, including those abducted in Borno State.
“We are protesting kidnapping of our children in Oyo State, we are also protesting injustice in our country, a situation whereby innocent school children in Oyo and Borno State have been in the custody of criminals for several weeks now.” He said.
According to reports, Falana said the abducted children and teachers were enduring difficult conditions in captivity.
“Those kids are suffering. No medical attention, no food for them. And so for us as Nigerians, all of us are in custody, one way or the other.
And we demand the immediate release of those children and their teachers,” he said.
Falana noted that beyond demand for the rescue of the abducted victims, the nationwide protest also to draw attention to broader issues affecting Nigerians.
“We are also protesting injustice meted out to young people who are regularly arrested on the highways by the police.
“We are also protesting hunger in the land, poverty in the land and we are calling on the government that there is no basis for poverty in Nigeria.
“Our country has enormous material, natural resources and capital resources to make our people happy.” He said.
In the same vein, protesters also took to the street in Abuja with placards demanding end to bad governance and insecurity.
The protesters, spearheaded by members of the #TakeitBack Movement, also demanded the removal of President Bola Tinubu from power as videos shared on X showed them chanting “Tinubu must go”.
Also among the protesters are members of the RevolutionNow Movement led by human rigjts activist and 2027 Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).