I faced arrest after freeing 12 students in first case — Falana

Renowned Nigerian human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has recounted how his debut legal battle in 1982 nearly resulted in his arrest after he successfully secured the release of 12 students accused of attempting to murder their vice chancellor.

Falana, who made the revelation during an exclusive interview with The Legacy Series, reflected on the turbulent early days of his legal career shortly after his call to the Nigerian Bar.

According to him, while serving in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), he took on what would become his first major case, defending a group of students facing grave criminal charges.

Despite the weight of the allegations, the young lawyer approached the matter with determination and successfully argued for their freedom in court. However, the outcome of the case did not sit well with authorities at the time.

Falana disclosed that the ruling, which declared the detention of the students illegal and unconstitutional, provoked anger within government circles and among law enforcement agencies.

The presiding judge, he added, also came under pressure, as the case file was reportedly seized for what authorities described as embarrassing both the government and the police.

The senior advocate further revealed that following the landmark judgment, he became a target for arrest in Ibadan.

Falana said he was forced to adopt strategic measures to avoid detention, insisting that his actions remained within the confines of the law.

Recounting the experience in his own words, Falana said: “I became a lawyer in 1982. During my youth service, the first case I handled, I ran into trouble. Some students were charged with attempted murder of their vice chancellor, twelve of them. I went to court and was able to secure their freedom.

The state, the neo-colonial state, didn’t like it. I was going to be arrested in Ibadan, so I ran, but legally. The file of the judge that decided the case was seized for embarrassing the government, the police, and for delivering a judgment that declared the detention illegal and unconstitutional.”

The revelation underscores the challenges faced by legal practitioners in Nigeria’s justice system, particularly during the early years of Falana’s career, and highlights his longstanding commitment to the defence of human rights and the rule of law.