Nigerian judiciary as a big joke

Please, take a look at these laughable convictions from the Nigerian judiciary:  A former director of the Police Pension Board, John Yakubu Yusuf, was sentenced to two years imprisonment by an Abuja High Court for the embezzlement of N23.3bn pension fund or an option of fine of N750,000. Olabode George committed a fraud of over N85bn and was only given a two and half years jail term.

 Mrs. Cecilia Ibru (former MD/CEO of Oceanic Bank was jailed six months for stealing N54bn. A former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, was convicted of N20bn fraud, and was sentenced to only six months in prison. Both Balogun and Mrs Ibru had their sentences spent in their homes or chosen hospitals. So many ex-governors between 1999 and 2011, have been granted bails on their alleged corrupt cases, some have court injunction (Peter Odili) stopping their trial on corruption cases. James Ibori (former governor of Delta State) was discharged and acquitted in Nigeria, but was sent to jail in the UK, for the same offences, he was acquitted of in Nigeria. The list is endless. What is worrisome is that poor Nigerians are left to rot in Nigerian prisons, for little or no offences, compared to what the “big and mighty” Nigerians are doing.

Corruption is all over the world, the difference is how various countries approach it. In China, the penalty is capital punishment. Another example is America, where, for instance, Bernard Madoff, who committed a fraud of $65bn (£38bn) was sentenced to 150 years in jail. The Nigerian judiciary is no longer the last hope of the common man, but rather, the destroyer of the Nigerian hope.  “The greatest incitement to crime is the hope of escaping punishment”, Marcus Cicero. The Nigerian judiciary is aiding and abetting crimes by handing little or no sentences/jail terms to convicts. Make no mistake, the destruction of Nigeria (by whatever means) will affect all and sundry. Take a look at the insecurity situation (which is a failure of the government and partly the people), no one is safe any more. Emirs, chiefs, ministers, commissioners, judges, lawyers, ex this, ex that, among others can be attacked or kidnapped. High crime rates are partly the fault of our judiciary also. Therefore, this should serve a wake-up call because a lot of damage has already been done.




-- Punch