Falana blasts govt over failure to prosecute Benue killers

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has accused the Nigerian and Benue State Governments of gross negligence for failing to prosecute suspects arrested in connection with killings and violent crimes in the state.

Falana, in a statement issued under the platform of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), criticised the authorities for treating suspected killers "like sacred cows," even as arrests continue to mount without corresponding prosecutions.

“The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Benue State, Mr Fidelis Mnyim, must take immediate steps to ensure that justice is served,” Falana said.

His remarks followed President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue, where the president directed the police to arrest and prosecute those behind the latest attacks.

Falana, however, dismissed the directive as largely symbolic, citing a troubling pattern of unfulfilled promises. He pointed to several past incidents where arrests were made but never translated into justice.

“On December 30, 2024, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hassan Yabanet, announced the arrest of 273 suspects involved in capital crimes. Yet, no convictions have been recorded,” he said.

The senior lawyer further listed the uncovering of an illegal firearms factory in January, the arrest of herdsmen linked to 11 killings in Otukpo in April, and the recent apprehension of three kidnappers in June, all without meaningful prosecutions.

He also condemned Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa for accusing residents of Yelwata community of harboring criminals, describing the comment as “an attempt to shift blame onto the victims.”

Between January and June 2025 alone, Falana noted that dozens of suspects had been arrested, including 43 in the last ten days, yet “no significant prosecutions have been reported.”

“It is a shame that justice continues to elude victims and their families despite overwhelming evidence and confessions,” he said.