Falana Reveals Shocking Tale Of IBB’s Malicious Arrest, Vows Legal Battle For Justice

Falana Reveals Shocking Tale Of IBB’s Malicious Arrest, Vows Legal Battle For Justice

Femi Falana (SAN), a renowned Nigerian human rights lawyer, has announced his intention to pursue legal action against former Military President Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) over what he describes as malicious detention and prosecution during IBB’s regime.………READ MORE 

Falana’s decision follows recent remarks made by Babangida in his new book, where the former military leader addressed the controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election—widely regarded as Nigeria’s most credible election.

In an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Falana recalled how he and other prominent pro-democracy campaigners, including the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, were arrested and charged with sedition for opposing the annulment. He described how they were detained, despite the overwhelming evidence that the election was free and fair.

“We were jailed for publishing the election results,” Falana explained, recounting how IBB defended the annulment, citing alleged electoral malpractices, even though the election had been conducted with integrity.

Falana noted that on June 26, 1993, IBB signed the decree that nullified the election and dissolved the Presidential Election Tribunal, led by Justice Bola Babalakin, which had ruled in favor of the election’s legitimacy. “Now, he wants to give the impression that some forces, without his knowledge, annulled the election. But Babangida himself exercised that power against the interest of Nigerians,” Falana stated.

Following the annulment, the Campaign for Democracy led nationwide protests, prompting IBB to order the arrest of key activists, including Falana, Fawehinmi, and Ransome-Kuti. The group was paraded in front of a Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse, Abuja, on charges of sedition for simply publishing the election results.

Denied bail, the activists were sent to Kuje Prison under Decree No. 2, a notorious military law used to suppress dissent. Falana remarked, “The junta foolishly thought jailing us would stop the protests, but they miscalculated.”

32 years after the annulment, Falana emphasized that Babangida now expresses regret over his actions, stating, “He deliberately arrested, detained, and paraded me as a criminal, only to say now, ‘We regret what we did.’ That means he knew all along that our prosecution was unjust.”

In light of IBB’s admission that MKO Abiola won the election, Falana asserts that his detention and prosecution were unlawful and violated his fundamental human rights. “I have assembled a team of lawyers, and we are taking legal action,” he confirmed, adding that Babangida’s admission of guilt proves the prosecution was malicious and an abuse of power.

When asked about the official recognition of MKO Abiola as a former president, Falana dismissed the idea, saying that Abiola has been recognized as the elected president by the Nigerian people since 1993.

He also criticized IBB’s plan to establish a Presidential Library, arguing that only elected leaders should have the right to do so. “No former military head of state has ever set up a presidential library. What do you want to read there? A president is elected by the people—a military dictator is not,” Falana said.

With IBB now admitting fault, Falana remains resolute in seeking justice for his wrongful prosecution, vowing to pursue legal action, no matter how long it takes.