The fairness and impartiality of the Nigerian legal system, which seems to apply a double standard—one for the wealthy and another for the average citizen—are causing growing concerns.
The preferential treatment of powerful people in the legal system has been sparked by a recent high-profile case involving former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
According to Public Affairs Analyst Prof. Simeon Nnah, who appeared on News Central TV’s Breakfast Central on Monday, “we celebrate the guilty” as a grand norm in Nigeria.
The conversation exposes a concerning pattern of praising individuals who are accused of corruption while punishing common people harshly for very small infractions.
These concerns are expressed by the public affairs analyst, who draws attention to the disparities in the administration of justice and the necessity of structural change. The discussion focused on the value of responsibility and the judiciary’s function in ensuring that everyone, regardless of socioeconomic standing, receives justice.
“I can show you a list of well-known individuals who have committed crimes but have not been found guilty by the courts, yet they are still being praised. I will begin with Ibori.
“Yahaya Bello’s case is not new. James Ibori was accused or alleged to have embezzled some funds, and the Nigerian justice minister went to court and said he had no case to answer. He also travelled to the UK and was imprisoned there for fraud, and upon his return, he was greeted with heroism. We had a Chief Justice of Nigeria who, I believe, was the first in our nation’s history to have a petition against him written by 14 Supreme Court justices detailing his haughtiness and improper use of funds. I’m trying to pick my words carefully, but in the end, the man was praised.”
Ibori received the second-highest accolade in the land and a staggering sum of $2 billion in retirement benefits after being asked to retire, according to Prof. Nnah. “That is why we are going nowhere in this country,” he said. “You know people commit fraud, and you celebrate them. Let’s even look at the path that led him to take the first position.
“An election was held, the governor who was in the running for the office died, and he was brought in from somewhere to assume the governorship instead of the deputy.
“Instead of the Deputy carrying on with the election in Kogi, where they had come very close to winning, they were coasting home and dry with the results announced. However, some influential people in Aso Rock brought in Yahaya Bello, who took over and finished the race.
“In a similar situation that occurred in Bayelsa, the governor was dismissed and the deputy had a problem; the governor did not have a problem, but the governor was removed.
“Since they are running on joint tickets, why would you not let the deputy continue after the governor passed away? he asked.
Social trust in governance is significantly impacted by the rising perception that Nigeria has two separate judicial systems: one for the elite and one for the general populace. A lack of trust in judicial integrity can result from socio-political variables influencing public perception, as demonstrated by the story of Yahaya Bello’s case. A culture of impunity among the powerful is also maintained by this dualism in justice, which therefore threatens the rule of law.
Prof. Nnah said, “You mentioned that we have one justice for the rich and another for the poor. As children, we were taught that the court was the last resort for the average person. Today, I can concisely tell you that the court is said to be the worst nightmare of the average person. A young man in Osun State was sentenced to death for simply stealing poultry.”
The admiration for people like Yahaya Bello despite their grave accusations is a reflection of larger cultural ideals that frequently place prestige over responsibility. A disturbing feature of Nigerian society is shown by this phenomenon: achievement is celebrated rather than questioned, even when it is marred by apparent corruption. The ramifications of this are significant since it creates an atmosphere in which accountability is not valued, which eventually impacts public trust and governance.
The discussion revealed several cases, especially in well-known cases, where court decisions have seemed capricious or biased. Nigerian judicial outcomes are unpredictable, as demonstrated by the Supreme Court’s decision to declare the fourth-place candidate the victor of a gubernatorial election. The credibility of the judiciary and its function in preserving democratic values are called into doubt by such discrepancies.
“There are justice flaws in more than just this specific incident—well, this one is hard to categorise because the court hasn’t issued a verdict yet. Let’s look at some cases in 2019: Imo State elections were held, and INEC declared someone the winner. A few months later, before you could say “Jack Robinson,” the Supreme Court declared the fourth, not the second, or the third, person to win the election. Nigeria is the only place in the world where it is possible.
“If you look at it from all angles, if the Supreme Court had declared the winner the second person, perhaps we would have said that there are things they know that we don’t know, but the second person wasn’t mentioned, the third person wasn’t mentioned, but the fourth person was mentioned,” the
public affairs analyst said.
He elaborated on the Nigerian legal system by mentioning the recent incidents involving human rights attorneys Afe Babalola (SAN) and Dele Farotimi.
“Farotimi wrote a book, and in his book, he mentioned that certain things are happening in this country, and he mentioned some people. Well, he has said in one of his interviews that he is ready to fight. This country is running like “Animal Farm,” where all animals are equal and some are more equal than others. However, Farotimi was dragged to a level that people will now begin to appreciate that we have to say things the way they are.”
Nigeria might gain from researching effective governance methods in other democracies, like the UK, according to the conversation. Political leaders in the UK are held responsible for their acts, in contrast to Nigeria, where they frequently avoid accountability. The significance of developing a political culture that promotes accountability and openness among public servants is emphasised by this.
Public opinions and media representations of accused people usually eclipse the “innocent until proven guilty” premise. The discussion highlights how cases involving popular individuals in particular require a balanced approach to preserve the integrity of the legal system and prevent harm to the judicial process.
Throughout the conversation, it is emphasised how urgently the Nigerian legal system needs fundamental change. There has never been a greater urgent need for accountability and justice that treats every citizen fairly. Without major reforms, the legal system runs the risk of continuing on its current path of inefficiency and prejudice, further dividing the populace from the government and its institutions.
The problems with Nigeria’s legal system brought out in the discussion present significant difficulties about accountability, equality, and the rule of law. The Yahaya Bello case triggers more extensive conversations on the administration and perception of justice in Nigeria, with ramifications for social values and government. Nigeria must resolve these inequalities and strive towards an equitable, open, and accessible justice system to advance, making sure that the judicial scales are genuinely impervious to status and power.
