As the conversation around waving of Russian flags by protesters in Kaduna and some other northern Nigerian states continues to gain traction, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), on Tuesday, cautioned protesters to avoid “undemocratic forces” using the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests to call for a military coup in the country.
According to Falana, there is no dispute on the rights of Nigerians to peaceful protests as outlined in sections 39 and 40 of the constitution.
He, however, said, “While we support the right of the #EndBadGovernance protesters, we have a patriotic duty to call on them to distance themselves from undemocratic forces who have taken advantage of the peaceful protests to engage in violence or campaign for a military coup in the country.”
He warned that waving of flags is an abuse of the constitutional right to protest in the country.
“It has become necessary to point out that calling for a military coup or waving the flag of Russia, a country known for supporting unconstitutional changes of government in Africa, constitutes a gross abuse of the constitutional right to protest against the Government of Nigeria,” he said.
“The legitimate protests against hardship in the land should not be turned into a campaign for an unconstitutional change of government.”
The legal practitioner further warned “those involved in the illegal campaign for another military rule,” adding that “they may be accused of engaging in the offence of treasonable felony in contravention of section 41 of the Criminal Code Act.”
Falana advised the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to “review the neoliberal policies promoting poverty and hardship in the country,” which he said would “make any form of unconstitutional change of government unattractive” to Nigerians.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, after a meeting of the National Security Council chaired by the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Monday, said it is a “treasonable offence” to display Russian flags in Nigeria.
He added that the Nigerian military would not accept such acts.
