Femi Falana, SAN, a human rights lawyer, on Wednesday called for urgent measures to protect children and other citizens in Northern Nigeria, urging increased funding and the deployment of satellite technology to strengthen security.
Falana made the appeal in his keynote address at the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Human Rights Institute on Wednesday in Abuja, held to mark the 2025 International Human Rights Day.
The event, chaired by Justice Muhammad Dattijo JSC (rtd.), carried the theme: “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essential”, with the sub-theme: “Security, a Necessity for the Growth of Our Nation, Nigeria.”
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Highlighting the persistent insecurity in the North, Falana said current efforts to combat terrorism and banditry were inadequate.
“Schools, both primary and secondary, are being shut down in the North. Terrorists and bandits are celebrating this, yet we claim we are ‘winning the war.’ We need real action,” he said.
Falana stressed the urgent need to address youth unemployment, noting that out of approximately 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, 80 percent are in Northern states.
“If we do not take care of the children of the poor, they will make life unbearable for our own children. This is the reality we face in the North,” he warned.
Citing the misuse of security funds, Falana urged the NBA to monitor allocations and called on state governments to ensure adequate protection for schools before reopening.
He suggested temporarily relocating some schools to state capitals with better security while reinforcing community-based security in rural areas, where logistical challenges limit police presence.
Falana also emphasized technological gaps in monitoring children, noting that efforts in Niger State to track students via guidance systems were hindered by inadequate space technology.
He welcomed the federal government’s recent approval of ₦20 billion to acquire satellite facilities, calling it a crucial step toward improving security monitoring.
The human rights lawyer urged full support from the federal government, military, and law enforcement agencies in acquiring the necessary equipment to combat terrorism.
He highlighted the NBA’s role in defending citizens’ rights and referenced Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which places the security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government.
Falana also recommended that the NBA compile and circulate court decisions that protect citizens’ rights, citing past rulings such as the 2021 case challenging the Chief of Army Staff’s directive requiring Nigerians to show identity cards at checkpoints, and a judgment declaring unlawful a regulation restricting female police officers from marrying without permission after three years of service.
Sabastine Anyia, NBA 1st Vice President, in his welcome address, reiterated that security is foundational to human rights, describing human rights as “invisible threads that stitch dignity to existence.”
Anyia warned that insecurity stalls national development, disrupts education, and undermines justice, emphasizing that without safety, human rights lose their practical value.
“Without security, dreams are postponed, businesses collapse, and children learn to fear before they learn to read. Our communities become shadows of the vibrant possibilities they carry,” Anyia said.
