By Uche John Madu
Femi Falana is indeed a cantankerous character that thrives on controversies. This is understandable in the sense that he ekes his living as a lawyer by courting controversies in the media, thereby increasing his public relevance. Femi Falana is the typical individual that pretends to be on the side of the masses, but in truth, he exploits the masses to his advantage and also for pecuniary gains.
You reading must agree with me that the EndSARS campaign has again brought out the best in the typical Femi Falana, who would in his traditional manner, instigate and paint a picture of human rights lawyer and crusader to get briefs to further his law practice.
The history of Femi Falana is one that is laced with deceit and media grandstanding. Little wonder he talks like a parrot on almost all issues, even the ones he has little or no knowledge about.
I am indeed constrained to pen this article because the implication of allowing the likes of Femi Falana to continue to thrive in his business of deceit, would mean that one day we might wake and realize that we do not have a country anymore.
The EndSARS campaign and the ignoble role Femi Falana and his shadowy group have played in the festering of the crisis cannot be overemphasized. At some point, I viewed with absolute disbelief on how a man that claims to be a human rights lawyer and crusader would not have the courtesy to verify information at his disposal before making imprudent statements in the media.
The strange thing is that Femi Falana seems to be all-knowing and the number one defender of the masses of Nigeria. Yes, that is his public posturing, while in truth, he is such a garrulous individual that sees every opportunity as one to enrich himself. I am sure those that are close to him or have had reasons to have a business relationship with him would readily attest to the fact that with Femi Falana, all that glitters isn’t gold. He is indeed the Exploiter-in-Chief of the masses of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
And in a very typical manner, he saw the EndSARS protest as an avenue for him to enrich his pockets again and that is why he issues press statements per second, and the bulk of which are lacking in content but a deliberate ploy to crave the attention he desires to put himself in an advantaged position for negotiation with clients, government and other entities that fall for his bobby trap.
As strange as this might sound, Femi Falana has never been for the interest of Nigeria. Over the years, his actions and inactions are indicative of a man that can be easily bought over by a plate of porridge because of his insatiable greed. I won’t be shocked that those vested interests that wanted to use the EndSARS protest to destabilize Nigeria would have seen a willing tool in Femi Falana, hence his level of criticism of the efforts of the Nigerian military towards the restoration of law and order in the polity.
I am sure the Nigerian Army authorities would be wondering what it is Femi Falana wants to achieve in his scathing remarks against the military institution. The EndSARS protest presented once again the real Femi Falana where he went to town insisting that the Nigerian Army massacred peaceful protesters at the Lekki Tollgate.
He went further through his shadowy group, the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond and threatened to drag the Nigerian Army to the International Criminal Court. To say Femi Falana has an ulterior motive would be an understatement. It is at best the height of a callous display by a lawyer of his standing that either by omission or commission neglected the importance of verifying facts before making a case or taking a stance on an issue of national concern.
Femi Falana’s action could also be likened to a situation where he makes an appearance in court and when asked to tender evidence to support his position on a matter, and he goes on to say that the evidence was that he dreamt about it. As funny as this might sound, that is the case of his submission with regards the massacre by soldiers of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Tolgate incidence in Lagos.
I must state at this point that we no longer need to search too far before finding those who want Nigeria to keep boiling because he is quick to glorify fake news and anything capable of inciting the populace to take up arms and revolt against the constituted authorities and by extension the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is indeed a shame of phenomenal proportion and why Femi Falana must tender an unreserved apology to the body of benchers in Nigeria for bringing the noble profession to disrepute. Also, will he in good conscience apologize to the military and our patriotic troops?
Nigerians must also henceforth be circumspect with characters like Femi Falana now that the truth has been established that there was no massacre in Lagos, and anywhere in Nigeria. We must reawaken our sense of history to dissect Femi Falana’s trajectory since he attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2012.
I can bet that a lot would come to the open with regards to his quest for pecuniary gains and a unique modus operandi that promotes blackmail at the highest level, a trend he has continued to use to achieve his innate desires, not minding whose ox is gored.
I can only wonder what his next line of action would be, but I can bet that he has more mischief up his sleeves in the coming days and weeks and Nigerians should expect more from his chambers in his quest to see Nigeria in ruins. If not for anything, I know for certain that the day of reckoning is coming for Femi Falana should he continue in his ways. I wonder what he wants and what he intends to achieve in the long run. I won’t speculate. I can only urge Nigerians to watch as events unfold until the manifestation of the real motives of Femi Falana against Nigeria.
Madu is a public affairs analyst and wrote from Lagos.