March 13, 2026 | News | SUNTV Global Channel
Prominent Nigerian human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to collaborate with other nations in mounting diplomatic pressure against the United States over its ongoing military operations in Iran.
Falana made the appeal during an appearance on the programme Politics Today on Channels Television on Thursday night, where he criticised U.S. President Donald Trump for what he described as disregard for international law and global diplomatic frameworks.
According to Falana, Nigeria should revive its long-standing tradition of multilateral diplomacy by working with other nations to promote respect for international law and prevent further escalation of the conflict.
“President Trump has shown contempt for international law and has pulled the United States out of dozens of United Nations resolutions. To him, those resolutions mean nothing,” Falana said during the interview.
The senior lawyer urged Nigeria to return to the diplomatic strategy it adopted during the era of the Non-Aligned Movement, where the country worked with other states to maintain neutrality and promote peaceful conflict resolution.
He suggested that Nigeria should quickly mobilise support from other countries to apply international pressure on Washington to exercise restraint in the escalating Middle East crisis.
Falana also emphasised the need for diplomatic intervention from global powers such as China and Russia, noting that both nations wield significant influence over Iran and could help de-escalate tensions.
“We must persuade China and Russia to intervene diplomatically because those are countries Iran will listen to,” he added.
Beyond the international crisis, Falana used the opportunity to call for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s internal security structure. He warned that Nigeria should not rely on foreign powers to guarantee its stability but instead strengthen its own security institutions.
He stressed that the country must prioritise better funding, equipment and organisation for the armed forces and police to effectively protect national sovereignty.
Falana also criticised the state of Nigeria’s refining sector, questioning why the country’s four state-owned refineries remain largely inactive despite billions of dollars reportedly spent on rehabilitation.
He argued that it was unhealthy for the nation’s energy supply to depend heavily on private refining operations such as the Dangote Refinery while government-owned facilities remain idle.
His remarks come amid the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, following joint airstrikes by U.S. and Israeli forces that targeted Iranian leadership and strategic infrastructure.
The strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who has since been succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
Since then, the conflict has intensified with continuous air raids on Iranian territory and retaliatory missile attacks targeting U.S. military installations, Israel, and several Gulf states.
The humanitarian impact has been severe, with reports indicating that more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in Iran and approximately 3.2 million people displaced.
Global energy markets have also been affected after Iran imposed restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments, pushing crude oil prices above $100 per barrel.
The International Energy Agency has since announced plans to release about 400 million barrels of crude oil into the market to stabilise supply.
The ripple effects of the conflict are already being felt in Nigeria, where petrol prices have surged sharply, with pump prices rising to between ₦1,075 and ₦1,300 per litre in many parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission confirmed that Nigerian citizens living in Iran are being evacuated through neighbouring countries, including Armenia, with no casualties reported so far.
However, authorities say several Nigerians remain stranded in transit locations across the Middle East due to flight cancellations and airspace closures triggered by the conflict.
— SUNTV Global Channel Reporting
