Femi Falana, a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has recently addressed the ongoing protests in the country, urging the government to handle them peacefully and drawing attention to Nigeria’s history of violent suppression of demonstrations. In a video shared by Channels TV, Falana highlighted several instances of brutal crackdowns on protesters, dating back to the colonial era.
Falana recalled the tragic Aba women’s protest of 1929, during which 55 unarmed women were killed by the British colonial regime. He also mentioned the Eva Valley workers’ strike in 1949, where 21 workers were killed by colonial authorities while demanding better working conditions. Falana argued that such violence should not persist in a democratic Nigeria.
Emphasizing the need for change, Falana stated, “In this country we have been having protest since the colonial regime. You talk of Aba women’s protest in 1929 when the British colonial regime killed 55 unarmed women. In 1949 Eva Valley workers were on strike for better conditions, the British colonial regime killed 21 of them and we can’t continue like that under a democratic government of our own.”
Falana called upon the security forces to discard the neocolonial orientation and recognize the protesters as part of their own society. He stressed that under a democratic government, the focus should be on engaging with the people, reducing tensions, and resolving issues through peaceful means rather than resorting to the use of force….Seē _ Morē
