Renowned Nigerian human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has accused United States President Donald Trump of breaching international law over alleged military actions in Venezuela and has called on the United Nations to impose sanctions on the United States.
Falana also urged the U.S. Congress to sanction President Trump, whom he accused of orchestrating an “illegal invasion” of Venezuela in violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Falana condemned reports alleging that U.S. forces bombed Caracas, forcibly removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and took control of the country’s oil resources, an operation he said resulted in the deaths of scores of unarmed civilians.
“The abduction and extraordinary rendition of a sitting president of a sovereign state is indeed a blatant violation of international law,” Falana said. “The hypocrisy and double standard of the so-called international community are so glaring.”
According to Falana, the alleged military operation represents an attempt by the Trump administration to impose a transitional regime in Venezuela aimed at exploiting the country’s vast oil and gas reserves.
He described the move as a dangerous step toward turning Venezuela into “a new colony of the United States.”
Falana stressed that ideological disagreements between Washington and the Maduro administration could not justify external military intervention or regime change.
“Notwithstanding ideological differences with the Maduro administration, the United States Congress should sanction Mr. Trump for the illegal invasion of Venezuela,” he stated.
The senior lawyer further alleged that the Venezuelan operation fits a broader pattern of what he described as “reckless gangsterism” by President Trump during his second term in office.
“In his second term in office, the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, has repeatedly engaged in reckless gangsterism. A few months ago, he bombed Iran without congressional approval,” Falana said.
He also recalled President Trump’s December 25, 2025, announcement of “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against Islamic State-linked militants in northwestern Nigeria, which he said was similarly carried out without congressional authorization.
Falana urged the U.S. judiciary to resist what he described as “dubious attempts” by the Trump administration to use domestic courts to undermine Venezuela’s sovereignty.
“I equally call on the judiciary of the United States to reject the dubious attempt by Mr. Trump to use domestic courts to subvert the sovereign rights of the people of Venezuela guaranteed by international law,” he said.
He concluded by calling on the United Nations to act decisively, warning that silence would erode the credibility of the global body.
“The UN must stand with the people of Venezuela and demand justice and accountability for this fundamental breach of the United Nations Charter if the global body is to uphold the letter and spirit of the Charter and retain any credibility,” Falana emphasized.
