By Fatima Mukhtar
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has advised Nigerians who have paid ransom to bandits or kidnappers to approach the courts and compel the Federal Government to compensate them for the money lost.
Falana gave the advice during the opening of the new legal year ceremony of the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja. He referenced the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Nigerian Constitution as strong legal grounds supporting the right of citizens to seek redress.
According to him, the government is constitutionally responsible for protecting the lives and property of its citizens, and any failure to do so constitutes a violation of its duties under the law.
He noted that the inability of the government to prevent kidnapping and protect citizens has forced many Nigerians to pay ransom for the release of kidnapped relatives, adding that the state should be held accountable for such failures.
Falana further stated that taking legal action would pressure the government into strengthening its efforts toward tackling the country’s growing security challenges.
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