A totalitarian Justice: cruel, debased and despicable rape of humanity

  The judiciary in Nigeria  is a colossal failure with a collateral damage to it’s citizens due to recklessness.  
 Nigerian legal system is a disgrace to Mankind and a tragic national plunder.  As  justice of “cash and carry”, it has informed a paradox in the criminal justice system where the innocent is criminalized the criminal walks free  as long as they are able to pay the price.

Within the borders of Nigeria resides one of the most terrifyingly dangerous display of a depraved justice system. From the Roman Empire to the present day it is arguably the most corrupt and the most shameful legal system known to mankind. Obnoxiously arrogant, its proclivities is creating a vicious atmosphere in nation linking up to the morbid corridors of pestilence  and decay. Nigerian legal system has become a metaphor for cynicism and despicable lawful plunder

 According to Judaic  teaching  “justice  is the Ultimate declaration of Gods will , our means of serving  him and approaching him.” Justice is no more or less than  fairness . It breeds  harmony . It gives comfort and  hope  to the afflicted and gives us a chance to feel that life is worth living, that no matter how desperate things might seem , it tells us to believe  that in end all will work out. It is therefore not only a means  towards a harmonious society but altogether an instrument of prosperity   Some nations are blessed with a judiciary system that delivers an efficient, effective, accountable and faire justice. Nigeria’s judiciary is remarkable for scandalous deficit of decency. On the scale, integrity remains  very limited in supply and most of all,  marked by  a pervasive systemic  corruption.

 Martin Meredith aptly described the sordid state of Nigeria’s  legal system “the justice system is chaotic prisoners were often locked up without trial for years on end… half of the inmate have never been legally  sentenced. Court proceedings are often determined by bribes rather than by justice. Many criminal were safe from persecution  because they came from prominent families or enjoyed the patronage of powerful politicians”.  “Justice goes to the highest bidder” says Emmanuel Azinge, barrister and solicitor advocate, yaba  magistrate court Lagos

“ Many  criminal and even dreadful  murderers  in Nigeria escape justice  and go free of charges with connivance  of some corruptible judges “ says  Mr  Nuhu  Ribadu , the chairman who headed the Anti graft  agency and charged prominent bankers as well as state governors and police commissioners

In case you needed a refresher, one of the biggest established cases of stealing money ,states money laundering   and diversion of public funds was the case of James Ibori , the disgraced governor of  oil rich delta state .  Nuhu  Ribadu was the ambushed and attacked anti-corruption  agent who was set against the governor . James Ibori  left Nigeria immediately afterwards . in spite of all the evidence Ibori  was acquitted of 170 count charges by a federal high court judge in Nigeria , but  now serving a 13 year jail term in UK after the crown court found him guilty of stealing and laundering states fund under a 13 count charge

According to Ribadu, Ibori was never the worst plunderer of public fund . Governor kalu of Abia was notorious for scandalous misappropriation of public funds . Mr Kalu diverted public fund during his tenure as governor,  35 billion naira  according to the states treasurer , to build a massive business empire  . He used his mother, daughter , wife and Brother  to plunder the states wealth. Kalu was never prosecuted . Notorious thieves terrifying and mindless criminals have  walked  free out of the courts in Nigeria.  ( because judgment is pay as you go and the criminal justice system is cash and carry) The irony is that innocent citizens who are unable to pay for legal representation or bribe the prosecutors and police are sent behind bars for unlimited period of time  This administration more than any records of past governance has produced too many sordid scandal  of judicial plunder  . A government commission investigating overcrowded prison found that some inmate have sat in their ram shackled cell for ten years or  more  without ever being  judged or sentenced  for any reason . many more were convicted without proven evidences.

 In 2007 four delta  state teenagers  were convicted for armed robbery later assessment  of the evidences against the defendants uncovered  massive deficiencies that wrongfully  convicted innocent young boys for a crime that was never committed.  “ I can still hear the wailing voice of one  the four  innocent  young boys commented their  lawyer, he  was barely 17  asking in his subs “ why me, what have I done in this world to merit such wrongful accusation.. but why …  I don’t even know how to handle a gun ”   “ its complete nightmare” says one of the other defendants

Barely the same moment a prominent political figure Chris  Uba had not only publicly confessed to rigging election but also to masterminding the kidnapping of the  elected governor of Anambra state , Dr Christian Ngige. Rather than punish the felon  Uba was rewarded  with a new political administrative  post and never served one night of jail term . Another prominent politician was convicted of brutal rape of a young college girl he appealed against the case paid money and was set free now the lives of the parents  of are under threat

In another case which was clearly a political murder of a promising local politician, Livinus Ajufo  who had just secured a local political victory. On his way for scheduled victory party he was riddled with bullets in the back seat of his  car  and his assailants were never arrested nevertheless the driver  Nwafor  Emeka 25 who survived the attack unhurt  was arrested and locked up. And since that faithful of July 2007 his life is recklessly wasted away in jail  with out prosecution or trail of any kind

The experiences of Chigioke, Emeka  and all the rest is a monstrous perversity of justice and this is happening on an epidemic proportion to too many young and innocent  citizens. Nigeria’s addiction to corruption has created a massive propensity to criminality amongst the prosecutingbody(judges and police)                                                                                                                                                                      Every one of them  is on the  lookout for money making opportunity. The criminal justice system is creating a massive number of criminal and over crowding the prisons paradoxically there is a massive failure to favor justice.

 If we are to live   together in any  society  a certain measure of protection  of rights and freedom  of persons and properties is necessary; and should be  equally guaranteed to every member of the community without regard to his status, personality or standard. The acknowledgment  of this principle is what sets us apart as a civilized community.  Society cannot not exist without the full measure of justice ; and  the ranking of a people on the scale of being is determined by the role played  by  it’s justice system in the ordering of things. It is well know that any where money buys impunity chaos and disorder  will reign.  

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