Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has assembled a legal team to take action against former military leader Ibrahim Babangida over what he calls a wrongful and malicious prosecution.
This stems from events in the early 1990s when Falana, alongside late Gani Fawehinmi and three others, was detained and charged for protesting the annulment of the 1993 presidential election results.
News About Nigeria reports that the election, which was won by Moshood Abiola, was nullified by Babangida’s regime.
Falana claimed they were unjustly prosecuted and detained for opposing the annulment.
Despite Babangida’s recent acknowledgment that he regretted the decision, Falana is determined to seek legal redress for the 1993 events, which he believes severely impacted Nigeria’s democracy.
In 1993, Falana and his colleagues were taken to court and charged with treason.
At the time, they had no access to legal counsel and had to represent themselves.
Falana recalled defending himself and Fawehinmi during their trial, challenging the legality of their charges.
He also pointed out the hypocrisy of Babangida’s government, noting that those who had overthrown a democratically elected government were not being tried, while they were.
Falana argued that Babangida’s actions were unlawful and that the charges against him and his colleagues were unfounded.
He is now pursuing legal action to hold Babangida accountable for the violations of their rights and to correct what he views as an unjust legal process.
He noted that Babangida’s recent remarks about the election, admitting there was no justification for its annulment, have further validated his position.
