Opinion
Travesty Of Justice
It is often regarded as an act of unpatriotism to cast aspersion on one’s country, let alone showing pessimism about its future. Like a popular Yoruba saying, only a bastard points at the direction of his father’s house with his left hand. It is obviously on the crest of this adage that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his usual native demeanour, threw bricks bats at the musician who went wild to render the popular song, Nigeria jagajaga.
But in a country where rogues rule over the princely, where known criminals are the major beneficiaries of the nation’s economic enterprise, where saints roast to hell and sinners smile to heaven, it will not be too unprincely for any man with good conscience to share a pessimistic view about a better tomorrow or lose hope n the future of this country. This appears to be the case with the geographical entity called Nigeria.
Like the James Ibori’s case which had earlier been dismissed by a supposedly competent Nigerian court, but which later landed the former Delta State governor in London prison, the recent two year jail term with an option of N750,000 fine handed down to Mr. John Yakubu Yusuf, a former Assistant Director in the Police Pension Office by Abuja High Court for stealing N23.3billion has further reiterated the pessimistic view that there must be something fundamentally wrong with Nigeria as a nation. It is either we are deficient in reasoning or that we have lost our moral compass.
I often come to this conclusion each time I muse about Nigeria as a political and economic enterprise. But it becomes more agonizsing to realise that the nation’s judiciary which is regarded as the nation’s bastion of hope or the last hope of the common man has equally been compromised. The court’s judgement about Yusuf has not only advertised us as a nation whose judicial system is on trial, but also as people who are burdened with leaders without conscience or morals.
It is a common parlance that justice must not only be done, but must be manifestly seen to have been done. But in Yusuf’s case, can any man with morals and good conscience proudly say that justice has been manifestly done in all legal and moral terms?
What the judgement suggests is that any rogue, after cheating his country to as much as about N23.3 billion, can look justice straight in the face, dare his victims to go to hell, mock his prosecutors, and then walk out of the courtroom majestically in wild jubilation into the arms of his cronies who are anxiously waiting to throw a party for him in his illegally-acquired mansion, just because he has stolen enough to pay a paltry sum of N750,000 fine in exchange for a jail sentence.
I believe this can only happen in a country where known criminals and public treasury looters pride themselves as government’s contractors and friends and supporters of political leaders. But for the British Court in London which exposed the caricature of what we call justice in Nigeria and convicted Ibori, he would have been a free man looming large in the country today, and perhaps dictating who becomes what in his State and Nigeria. Even at that, the thieving governor who is now serving a jail term in London is still being paid pension by the same State he has ruthlessly and shamelessly robbed of billions of naira. What a shame!
Those who advance the argument in favour of Yusuf that the pension thief has, after all, forfeited 32 properties to the State and has returned parts of the loot must be men and women of little or no conscience at all, just as those who argue that the court’s judgement was a reflection of the Nigerian law that prescribes a two-year jail sentence with an option of fine for a thieving public official must be suffering from moral migraine. The same law leaves the judge with the option and discretion of jailing a convict with or without an option of fine, or jailing him in addition to payment of fine. A reasonable judge with good conscience would have opted for the latter in Yusuf’s case considering the magnitude of the offence and the sum of money involved. How convenient then is it for our judges to hand down a six-month jail sentence to a man who stole an ordinary goat for lack of better things to live on?
Anywhere in the world, the administration of criminal justice system is rooted in punishing both the ‘men rea’ i.e. intention and the ‘actors rens’ i.e. act of an offence so as to serve as a punitive measure to the criminal as well as a deterrent to others who may want to ride on the crest of his fraudulent success.
It is therefore not enough for any man with good morals, good conscience and good intention for Nigeria to argue or presume that a mere return of the loot or parts of it by a man who was found guilty for a charge of N23.3 billion fraud or the payment of N750,000 fine in exchange for a two-year jail sentence, has served the course of justice.
Doing so will amount to a travesty of justice and a mockery of our judicial system. And until the court’s judgement is reversed by an appellate court and justice is manifestly seen to be done, the Abuja High Court’s judgement would forever remain a huge debt on our collective conscience, as well as a bad precedence in our judicial system. We only hope that the re-arrest and re-arraignment of the pension thief by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fresh charges would produce a good judgement and serve as a relief to people with good conscience.
Boye Salau
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.