Getting away with murder – and more, in today’s news round-up with Cheta Nwanze

by Cheta Nwanze

Law court rape

Of course Nigeria is a country that so many of her citizens sadly want to get out of. Why not, when less than 5% of us have any form of insurance.

On Sunday evening, right after the Eagles pecked the Elephants, I was entertained at dinner by one of those people who have made it their life’s duty to pursue criminals in the law courts. Of course, during the course of dinner with the old chap, our conversation turned to our criminal justice system, and the man made a comment that had me and the other dinner guests reeling. “The conviction rate in Lagos alone for violent crimes is not up to thirty a year.” When that statistic dropped, my jaw hit the ground at 70 miles an hour. I was still looking for it when I was forced to suspend that search because of another dropped by Amnesty International. According to a report titled “Nigeria: No Justice for the Dead” which was released yesterday, basic techniques of crime scene protection and investigation are not applied and autopsies and inquests are either not carried out or are inadequate. Relatives are often left with no answers about the fate of their family members and rarely receive justice. Of course, when a city of over 10 million has 30 or less convictions per year for violent crimes, it can only mean one of two things, either the citizens are all nice and law abiding (typed just as a danfo beat a red light), or the police and the prosecution service are not doing their jobs.

Thus it was that the Cynthia Osokogu trial dragged on. In a case which my non-legal mind believes should have been done and dusted a long time ago, and the guilty parties dangling at the end of a rope, a lawyer had the gall to ask for an indefinite postponement of the trial.

Indefinite postponement!

So what about the girl that was brutally raped and then murdered? What about the other victims of these animals, who did not have the nerve to come out until a fellow victim was killed? What about the fact that at least two of the accused have admitted to doing it? It is the knowledge that people will try to cover them up, and pretend that nothing happened that keeps rapists (most of whom are potential murderers) walking about freely and going about their business like nothing will happen. Because most times, nothing will happen, unless of course, the victim is fifteen, then you can promise the police that you will take care of her and the child, and subsequently abscond through one of the 1487 illegal entry points into Nigeria. It will be silly of course, for our police and immigration services to think that if illegal aliens have 1487 ways of getting into Nigeria, that Nigerians do not have 1487 ways of getting out.

Of course Nigeria is a country that so many of her citizens sadly want to get out of. Why not, when less than 5% of us have any form of insurance. You see, the chap who is employed in Alaba is under no compulsion to pay any taxes, and would most likely not understand what an insurance policy means. The chap who is employed in First Bank on the other hand, has to have at least health insurance. Last time I checked, 5% of Nigerians is roughly 8.5 million people, so it will be safe to assume then that is the number of people formally employed in our country.

It is not just murder that people get away with in this country. House of Reps kaftan, Farouk Lawan took lessons from Houdini, and learned how to make stuff disappear. US$620,00 to be exact. As it is, after dragging their feet on the issue for so long, and in the face of very loud questions from the people who they really listen to (geezers outside the country), the FG charged him to court, and since then, he’s been admiring the decoration at Kuje. Yesterday, a delegation of his fellow reps went to see him. The conversation was aptly captured by BusinessDay’s cartoonist. For the records, the chap they were asking Bros Lawan to emulate is down the hall from him as I type this, so Fakrook can take original notes.

Quote of the day

“I have gone and I’ve come back and they have not reduced one pin from me.” – Chief Olabode George, explains how he practically got away with murder in exchange for a two year holiday.

Bits and bobs

2015 is the only thing our governors are thinking of at the moment (they usually shift that focus slightly when monthly allocations come). To this end, 10 of them who are not from the PDP have vowed to dislodge the PDP in 2015.

I’ll be headed to Afghanistan’s embassy later today to apply for an immigrant’s visa. Nigeria and Iran are set to partner on nuclear energy.

Boko Haram hardly makes news in Nigeria any more, so from Reuters/Yahoo, we hear that six park rangers were shot and killed by militants yesterday.

Aware that NEPA is not about to bring the light back, the House of Reps has asked JAMB to suspend that rather hare-brained idea to use computers to conduct this year’s exams.

Big Boss is not sure he will remain in charge of Papa Eagles after this evening’s defeat to Mali. Watch Nigeria 1-2 Mali on SuperSport from 4pm.

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

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