Falana demands prosecution in unresolved killings involving powerful Nigerians

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has accused authorities of frustrating murder investigations involving politically connected individuals and called for the prosecution of suspects in several high-profile killings across the country.

In a statement issued on behalf of the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), Falana said cases linked to members of the ruling elite are often deliberately mishandled to ensure suspects escape justice.

“In Nigeria, murder cases traceable to members of the ruling class and other highly connected persons are usually covered up,” he said, adding that public prosecutors sometimes bungle such cases to pave the way for what he described as “dubious acquittals.”

Falana urged security agencies to revisit some unresolved cases, including the 2018 Offa Robbery in Kwara State, the disappearance of lecturer Abubakar Idris Dadiyata, killings linked to land disputes in Lagos, and the alleged torture and death of Chief Lukman Ojora Arounfale.

On the Offa robbery, which claimed 33 lives, including nine police officers, Falana noted that convicted suspects had previously mentioned former Bukola Saraki and former Abdulfatah Ahmed in connection with the gang, and said all parties should allow the law to take its course.

He also called for a fresh probe into Dadiyata’s 2019 abduction in Kaduna State, citing allegations that the lecturer was tortured and killed in police custody.

In Lagos, Falana urged authorities to prosecute suspected land grabber Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi, who was reportedly arrested by INTERPOL in Benin and handed over to Nigerian police.

He further criticised the handling of the 2025 killing of six traders in Owode-Onirin and urged the Lagos State Ministry of Justice to review earlier legal advice that cleared four police officers involved.

Falana also alleged that Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade ordered palace guards to assault Chief Lukman Ojora Arounfale, who later died from injuries sustained during the incident.

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In Effurun, he welcomed the dismissal and arrest of ASP Nuhu Usman and other officers over the killing of 28-year-old Mene Ogidi, but urged authorities to transfer the case to the Delta State Ministry of Justice for immediate prosecution.

Falana said holding influential suspects accountable is essential to restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system and ensuring that no individual is above the law.

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