Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has shared how his wife, Funmi Falana, helped end unfair rules against women in the Nigerian Police Force. Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Enugu State, he recalled two key cases that changed the system.
In a video shared by SYMFONI TV, the first was a law that forced women in the police to remain unmarried for three years after joining. If they married earlier, they risked losing their jobs. Falana explained that his wife challenged the rule in court through the case of Willer vs Attorney General of the Federation.
The Attorney General defended it, saying it was to “protect women.” But the court ruled it discriminatory, since the same rule did not apply to men. “Today, women can join the police force today and marry tomorrow,” Falana said.
The second case involved a policewoman in Ekiti who was dismissed for becoming pregnant while unmarried. Falana recalled that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) phoned him, urging him to stop his wife from pursuing the matter.
“He said, ‘Femi, talk to your wife, why is she supporting this thing, this woman knew before she joined the police force.’ I said, my friend, I won’t mention the IGP, ‘but your predecessor impregnated his Secretary. Did you dismiss him?’” Falana revealed.
His wife went ahead with the case, and the court struck down the law. The dismissed officer was later reinstated and promoted.
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