The senior advocate argued that the suppression of dissent was not merely a legal abuse but a structural threat to Nigeria's democratic foundations.
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana has raised the alarm over what he described as a systematic assault on civil liberties in Nigeria, warning that citizens who exercise constitutional rights to protest are increasingly being prosecuted under terrorism and cybercrime laws.
Falana delivered the warning on Saturday in a paper titled 2027: Building A Nation Where No Man Is Oppressed, presented at a memorial event for the late Chief Alao Aka-Bashorun, a celebrated defender of constitutionalism and civil liberties.
"In Nigeria of 2027, citizens who take part in protests against unpopular government policies are charged with terrorism and treasonable felony," Falana said. "Others who criticise political leaders are charged with cyberstalking, or threat to public order under the Cybercrimes Act."
The senior advocate argued that the suppression of dissent was not merely a legal abuse but a structural threat to Nigeria's democratic foundations.
