Falana To Federal Government :Get Ozekhome Released Or Face Mass Action
By Godwin Etim
Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, has called on the Federal government to see that Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN and four other people who were kidnapped in Edo State last week are released unhurt and without any further delay.
Falana made this appeal today in a statement made avaliable to NigerianEcho. He said the families of the kidnapped persons have gone through a traumatic experience.
” Having put them and their families through such undeserved emotional and psychological stress and trauma the kidnappers should set the victims free.”
Falana who condemned the kidnap said it was criminal and unjust to kidnap victims of “Official corruption, irresponsible governance and abuse of power.”
He argued that the protection of lives and properties is the primary duty of any responsive government. He accused the government of President Goodluck Jonathan of gross incompetence in all areas of human endeavors which has led to chaos and insecurity that pervade the nation.
“Whereas section 14 (2) (b) of the Constitution of the Republic stipulates that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government the Federal Government has shown beyond any shadow of doubt that it is grossly incompetent and incapable to secure the life and property of any citizen in the country. Hence armed robbers, kidnappers, terrorists, assassins and other nihilist forces have taken over the monopoly of violence from the ill equipped and ill trained police and armed forces of a failed State.”
“If the Federal Government does not adopt urgent and concrete measures to guarantee the security of life and property within the next one month I am going to mobilise Nigerians to rise up with a view to taking their destiny in their own hands. To start with all steps should be taken to secure the release of Chief Ozekhome and others who are currently held in the undisclosed custody of the kidnappers .” Falana added.
