Feature/OPED
Corruption Trials: The New Tactics of Evading Justice
By Omoshola Deji
Aside ethnic bigotry and religious odium, corruption is apparently Nigeria’s ultimate challenge. Corruption is so rampant that it has unconsciously become a norm. Rights and merit are not valued anymore. Every step you take, you must always be ready to bribe your way or know someone who knows someone. No class is righteous! Almost everyone use their position, power and authority for personal aggrandizement. The educated steals with the pen, the unschooled engineer demands for thrice the price of auto-parts and the politician snaffles the public treasury.
The gains of corruption have shattered the political-will to tackle it. Nonetheless, President Buhari has valiantly expelled the usual mode of fighting corruption with articulate speeches and match words with action. Judges and prominent politicians are being investigated and prosecuted, even though there is just a single convict – Bala Ngilari, the former Governor of Adamawa State.
The apparent national attention shift from Ngilari makes this publication timely, weighty and credible. This piece had been long articulated-in-mind, but the main task of grounding the core assertion that the political elites have devised a new antics to immune themselves from incarceration necessitated a lengthy observation and research.
To achieve this, much time was needed to observe the actions and reactions of the federal government, the anticorruption crusaders, the populace and the media. Sadly, this collection of Nigerians has been underactive or unconscious of a looming danger.
On March 6, 2017, Ngilari’s popularity soared when news broke that an ex-governor has been sentenced. For awarding the purchase of 25 cars for N167 million without adhering to the State’s Public Procurement Act, Ngilari was convicted of corruption and sentenced to five years imprisonment without the option of fine by Justice Nathan Musa of the Yola High Court.
This rare, high-profile conviction generated a rain of national applauds and international accolades. The world was convinced that the likes of James Ibori would no longer be able to evade justice. Among the political class, Ngilari’s conviction sent shivers down the spine of the corrupt and they began to strategize. The outcome of their strategy exposed when the unprecedented happened. After being imprisoned for 21 days out of a five year jail term, Ngilari was released from prison under the most dubious circumstance.
In a dire conspiratorial alliance with the prison and the judiciary, Ngilari’s comrades coaxed the Prison Deputy Comptroller in charge of health, John Bukar, to issue a medical report that Ngilari needs an urgent medical attention abroad – specifically at the Canada Specialist Hospital in Dubai. The medical report stated that Ngilari is battling with insomnia, diabetes and hypertension with blood pressure rising between 180/110MMHG to 190/120MMHG.
Easily and swiftly, the same Justice Musa that convicted Ngilari awarded him a N100 million bail with two sureties, who must own landed properties in Yola, the Adamawa State capital. Without a doubt, Nigeria is a class society where the rule-of-law exists only on paper. Under the watch of an anticorruption focused government, Ngilari was released to seek medical attention abroad, while thousands of convicted and awaiting trial inmates with debilitating health are never awarded such grace.
Is Ngilari really receiving treatment abroad or has totally escaped justice? A print media once reported that when Ngilari’s release started generating controversy, he hurriedly escaped through the Cameroonian borders to an unknown destination. There is evidently more to Ngilari’s release than meets the eye. The conduct of Justice Musa and the prison officials shows that some prominent persons are determined to ensure Ngilari evades justice. Who could these powerful persons be other than his fellow politicians, party stalwarts and godfathers? Could it be that Justice Musa and the prison officials’ hands were greased? Most likely!
In denial, the Comptroller of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) in Adamawa State, Peter Tenkwa, declared he knew nothing about the medical report that facilitated Ngilari’s bail. Teckwa expressed that the “Nigeria Prison Service, as I stated, knows nothing about this letter; whoever wrote that letter is on his own. I have been directed to query the officers involved”. As a deterrent, the NPS suspended two prison officials and nothing more has been heard. Is that enough to deter future occurrence?
Affirming conspiracy, Teckwa (unintentionally) exposed the initial desperate move to hasten Ngilari’s freedom. He unveiled that the Adamawa State Ministry of Justice had initially written him to raise concerns about the health facilities in Ngilari’s prison. After assessing the facilities, the ministry was informed in writing that the prison facilities are up to standard. Teckwa avowed that “we have enough medical facilities to handle high-profile inmates like Ngilari”. Fellow Nigerians, if you wish to live the Nigeria of your dreams, never defend the unscrupulous release of Ngilari.
Affirming infraction, the Adamawa State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice expressed that: “you must establish special circumstance before granting bail; pending appeal and ill health is not good enough. Before such bail would be granted, the convict must show that the ill health is of contagious nature; the convict did not meet any of the conditions required”.
Manifestly, it is unclouded that the political elites have successfully launched their new strategy of evading justice without consequence. The Buhari anticorruption administration has ignored it and Nigerians have done nothing to resist it. As has always being the case, some Nigerians boorishly defend Ngilari’s release while others condemned it – all talks, no action! The ever vocal Femi Falana and anticorruption crusader Itse Sagay – that roar when the Senate sneezes – have gone mute.
Nigerians beware! This is another Boko-Haram synonymous menace in its formative stage. The implication is that once a prominent politician is convicted, he or she would simply regain freedom on health grounds and fly abroad for ‘treatment’. Bear in mind, there is hardly any imprisoned aged person without one form of ailment or the other. Imagine Sambo Dasuki and Deziani Alison-Madueke are convicted of corruption, but later released to get medical treatment abroad. The rate of corrupt practices would surely skyrocket beyond measure. Wise is the one who first orated that “a stitch in time saves nine”. I warn! Our collective silence and “eh no concern me” attitude would blow this new tactics of evading justice out of proportion.
Without reasoning, we support these politicians blindly while they callously make our lives miserable. They care less and would continue to do anything possible to secure their political future. When MKO Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe contested the 1993 annulled presidential election, Nigerians were not religiously sentimental. No one cared if it’s a Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket. Today, everything has changed. Just for the sake of winning elections, some politicians desperately fused politics with religion. They have malformed our orientation that we must fight for our ethno-religious person to be in power, regardless of their competence.
These greedy politicians also converted ethnicity to political ideology. They have cajoled us to believe that it is a sin to criticize our ethnic person in power and we must fight other tribes that do such. Today, I doubt if any political party can win the presidential election without balancing the North-South and Christian-Muslim equation. That’s not enough, the next target of these politicians is to frustrate the anticorruption war and cripple justice, but Nigerians are neither observant nor resistant.
I pity the Nigerian masses, especially those who have clouded their intellectualism with ethno-religious sentiments. The corrupt politicians they fiercely defend are the ones behind their ordeals. Without a second thought, a miscreant would be the first to stone the politician using him as a terror instrument, if he realizes that the corruption and misdeeds of politicians basically made him a miscreant. That miscreant couldn’t have a quality education because the funds meant for development have been shared, while the children of those he roars “tuale all-right sir” for are schooling in the best universities abroad.
If Nigerian states are to be sold, the debt of some states is almost their value price. Oh Nigerian leaders why? Why are you obtaining loans our unborn generation cannot pay only to steal? Look around you! The roads are death traps; masses are terribly impoverished; insecurity is alarming; graduates are unemployable; youths are submitting their intellectualism to crime; our ladies are embracing prostitution and people are dying of minor diseases. For how long shall Mosquitos continue to stare at us and say ‘bless this food, Oh lord, for Christ sake’? These man-made evils are befalling us because Ngilari and associates have fleeced the funds meant for development.
Lest I forget, it is a pity that Nigerians don’t even know they are suffering. When you write objectively about any public related issues in developed nations, everyone would raise their voice for change, but in Nigeria, the same people that corruption has swallowed their convenience would rain abuses and question your right to speak.
Well-intended, this piece is a wake-up call for Buhari-Osinbajo and all Nigerians to rise against the latest ruinous antics of the political class before it is too late. If we ignore and handle it softly like Boko-haram, the situation would one day rise beyond our control and this piece would be referenced as that patriotic warning that was ignored.
Omoshola Deji is a political and public affairs analyst. He wrote in via moshdeji@yahoo.com
By Jerome-Mario Utomi
The April 12, 2025, defection of members of the Delta Unity Group (DUG) to the All Progressive Congress (APC) signposts a major political shift in Delta’s politics.
Pundits believe that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which presently controls the state needs a miracle to win Delta’s 2027 governorship election given the massive haemorrhage that has hit it. Essentially, the over 10,000 members of the DUG and their supporters who defected to the APC were made up of seasoned grassroots PDP chieftains.
The defectors were received by the National Chairman of the All-Progressive Congress (APC), Mr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, and the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Chiedu Ebie, alongside other notable political figures in Delta State.
So far, Deltans are enamoured by the significant political shift with many describing the development as a political earthquake which was long overdue. Because of its grassroots orientation, political analysts have likened the DUG to the Mandate Group, an independent political pressure group that midwifed the election of Mr Bola Tinubu, now President, as Lagos State Governor in the late 1990s.
In the run up to the 2023 presidential election, among so many objectives, the group was primed and positioned to defend President Tinubu’s mandate and promote democracy, unity, justice, and liberty in Nigeria, mobilize support for him and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s administration, Promote Unity and Justice: Foster national unity, justice, and liberty for all Nigerians among others.
The Mandate Group which has established structures in all 36 states, with plans to launch state chapters and currently have 580,000 members in Lagos and aim to reach 40 million members nationwide within the next 12 months, targets various segments of society, including: Students, Workers, Artisans, Teachers, Fishermen, Farmers and Women.
In like manner, the DUG has emerged as a third force in Delta State politics. Although it is not a new body, it has, over the years, been quietly bestriding Delta’s political landscape for the good of the state. Call it a third force in the politics of Delta State, and you won’t be wrong because, from all ramifications, that is what DUG represents.
DUG is by no means a political party, but, as the name implies, it is a Delta State based political pressure group convened a few years ago by the selfless, foresighted and influential trio of Mr Olu-Tokunbo (Lulu) Enaboifo, Mr Chiedu Ebie and Sir Itiako (Malik) Ikpokpo.
Their aim and dream were to establish a political pressure group with an agenda to modernize Delta State and also serve as the brain box of the campaign platform of Olorogun David Edevbie, who was vying for the governorship candidate of PDP towards the 2023 gubernatorial election.
Even though the aspiration ended with the Supreme Court ruling in favour of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, the DUG remained a strong force that started building gradually on the dream of a modernized Delta State. DUG has an organizational structure of 17 National Executive Council members, a Board of Trustees, and Local Government Executives in all the 25 local governments in Delta State, with Ward Executives in all the wards across Delta State, DUG is deeply rooted in the grassroots of Delta State with its cell-like structures.
Prior to the 2023 election, a wing of DUG, at the Obinoba Declaration, crossed over to APC, where the APC governorship candidate, Mr Ovie Omo-Agege, described them as the intelligent wing of PDP.
The group significantly made a huge difference in the 2023 general elections in Delta State. The DUG members in the Delta North Senatorial District, at that point in time, remained with PDP and after full deliberation and strategizing, opted to support the candidature of the APC governorship candidate and all other candidates of APC, even though they had not formally left the PDP. Consequently, most of them were either suspended or cast away by PDP after the elections.
It was easy to blend and work harmoniously with the progressives due to the progressive mindset of DUG members. After the 2023 general elections in Delta State, DUG members of Ika Federal Constituency continued to align and work closely with the APC to strengthen the party and ensure that it is properly positioned to convert the Ika Federal Constituency to an APC constituency come 2027.
To the glory of God, President Tinubu found DUG’s co-founder/convener, Mr Ebie, fit to chair the Governing Board of the NDDC in 2023. This further gave the DUG more vigor to project the Renewed Hope Agenda of the progressive governance of Mr President. Following this appointment, Ika Federal Constituency became the heartbeat of DUG in Delta State, which has now radiated positively to Ndokwa/Ukwuani and Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituencies in Delta North.
This wave, which has led to the massive decamping of members of PDP and the Labour Party into DUG in preparation for absorption into the APC, has also witnessed the reactivation of some dormant APC ambers and the massive welcoming of previously non-partisan and newly retired civil servants into the APC, having witnessed the positive impact of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.
Because the group was fully poised for the reconfiguration of Delta State in the progressive fold of the APC, it is therefore, not surprising to witness the humongous crowd that emptied into APC on 12th day of April, 2025 in Agbor, Ika Federal Constituency, Delta State.
Going by the above development, it is obvious that come 2027, Ika nation in particular and Deltans in general shall witness the dethronement of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the state and enthronement of a people focused leadership to be formed by the All Progressive Congress, APC, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Utomi, a media specialist, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. He can be reached via Jeromeutomi@yahoo.com/
Africa’s creative industries, from music and film to fashion, writing, and branding, are experiencing remarkable growth. However, as the sector flourishes, so do the threats posed by piracy and copyright infringement. Without proper protection, creators risk losing the value and recognition they deserve for their original work.
Copyright remains the first and most important line of defence. In many African countries, copyright protection begins automatically once a creative work, such as a song, logo, film, or design, is fixed in a tangible form. This protection can last for the creator’s lifetime, and in most cases, up to 70 years after. Yet, while automatic copyright provides a foundation, official registration strengthens legal standing and can be critical in resolving disputes.
When a creator’s work is used without permission, the violation must be addressed swiftly. Experts advise that the first step is to gather evidence—screenshots, URLS, timestamps, user details, and even data showing engagement or financial gain from the misused content. Proof of ownership, such as original files with timestamps, draft versions, or social media records of earlier uploads, is equally vital.
“Creators should always have proof of ownership ready,” says Frikkie Jonker, Director of Anti-Piracy at MultiChoice. “That could be anything from original project files to old emails or posts. It’s one of the most effective tools in enforcing your rights.”
Once evidence is collected, creators can issue takedown requests through social platforms or send formal cease-and-desist letters to website owners or hosts. Although enforcement processes differ by country, most African nations have copyright laws aligned with global standards like the U.S. DMCA. In many cases, showing credible ownership is enough to have infringing content removed.
If infringement continues or is being done at scale, such as by piracy rings or repeat offenders, creators may need to escalate the issue by reporting it to national copyright commissions or law enforcement. Efforts are also being bolstered across the continent through cooperation under agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with international bodies like Interpol, Afripol, and WIPO supporting cross-border enforcement.
Preventative measures are just as important. Creators are encouraged to use tools like digital watermarking and content fingerprinting to protect their work from unauthorised use online. Furthermore, smart monetisation strategies, such as YouTube’s Content ID syste,m can allow creators to earn revenue even when their content is reused without prior permission.
By understanding their rights, taking proactive steps to protect their creations, and using available technologies, African creatives can safeguard their work while continuing to build sustainable, long-term careers.
By Saifullahi Attahir
If there was ever anything that gave me goosebumps and immense pleasure, it was being surrounded by intellectuals and mature minds absorbing facts and figures about governance, economics, public health, policymaking, national security, and international relations. In such situations I easily lose myself, forgetting almost all other things.
Even at medical school, my best lectures were those with frequent digressions, whereby the lecturer would discuss the pathogenesis of diseases for 30 minutes and later sidetrack into discussing politics, governance, or other life issues. I always enjoyed classes led by Prof. Sagir Gumel, Dr. Murtala Abubakar, Dr. Rasheed Wemimo, Dr. Aliyu Mai Goro, and co.
During such lectures, I often observed some of my colleagues disappointment for such deviation. I rather casually show indifference, for I was eternally grateful for such discussions due to the stimulatory effect they had on my mind.
After such classes, I sometimes followed up with the lecturer, not to ask about a medical concept I did not grasp, but to ask for further explanation on policy making, project execution, budgetary expenditures, why African countries are left behind, and similar pressing issues.
In situations where I can’t catch up with the lecturer, I jotted down the questions for further deliberation.
One of the manifest feature I know about my greediness was at reading books. I can open five different books in a day. I lack such discipline to finish up one before another. I can start reading ‘Mein Kampf’ by Adolf Hitler, and halfway through 300 pages, I would pick up ‘My Life’ by Sir Ahmadu Bello, and would have to concurrently read both until the end.
I often scolded myself for such an attitude, but I can’t help myself. The only way to practice such discipline was to at least read two different books in a day. Such was a triumph in my practice of self-discipline. This was apart from my conventional medical textbooks.
To some of my friends, I was called an accidental medical doctor, but actually it was a perfect fate guided by the merciful Lord that I’m studying medicine.
For it was only medicine that makes reading books easier for you. Although time is precious in this profession, but one finds it easier to do anything you are passionate about. The daily interaction we have with people at their most vulnerable state was another psychostimulant. Seeing humans suffering from disease conditions is heartache. Some of the causes are mere ignorance, poverty, superstitions, and limited resources.
The contribution one can give couldn’t be limited to just prescribing drugs or surgical procedures that end up affecting one person. It’s much better to involve one self in to position that may bring possible change to the whole society even in form of orientation.
What also motivated me more was how I wasn’t the first to traverse this similar path. Bibliophiles were common among medical students and medical professionals.
At international level, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Muhammad, was a physician.
Most of the current economic development of Malaysia was attributed to him. The South American revolutionary figure Che Guevara was a physician. Atul Gawande was an endocrinologist, health policy analyst, adviser to former President Obama, campaign volunteer to former President Bill Clinton, and adviser to USAID/WHO on health policies.
Frantz Fanon was another physician, psychiatrist, racial discrimination activist, and political writer. Dr. Zakir Naik was a renowned Islamic scholar, comparative religion expert, and physician.
At the national level, Prof. Usman Yusuf is a haematologist, former NHIS DG, and currently a political activist. Dr. Aminu Abdullahi Taura was a psychiatrist and former SSG to the Jigawa state government. Dr. Nuraddeen Muhammad was a psychiatrist and former cabinet minister to President Goodluck Jonathan.
During ward rounds and clinics, my mind often wanders to enquire not just about the diagnosis but the actual cause of the disease condition; why would a 17-year-old multiparous young lady develop peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM)? Why would a 5-year-old child develop severe anaemia from a mosquito bite? Why would a 25-year-old friend of mine develop chronic kidney disease, and his family would have to sell all their belongings for his treatment? Why are our Accident and Emergency units filled with road traffic accident cases? Was it bad road conditions or lack of adherence to traffic laws and orders?
Why are African countries still battling with 19th century diseases like Tuberculosis, filariasis, and malarial infections? Why issues of fighting cervical cancer and vaccination campaigns are treated with contempt in our societies? Why access to basic primary healthcare in Nigeria was still a luxury 50 years after Alma Ata declaration?
The questions are never-ending…
Answers to these questions could be found not in the conventional medical textbooks like Robbins/Cotrand, Davidson, or Sabiston. Answers to these questions are there on our faces. Answers to these questions are tied to the very fabric of our social life, our public institutions, our culture, and our life perspectives.
In order to make any significant contribution towards the betterment of this kind of society, it would be quite easier as an insider rather than an outsider. You can’t bring any positive outcome by just talking or commenting. It was rightly stated that a cat in gloves catches no mice.
The real players in a game are always better than the spectators. A player deserves accolades despite his shortcomings, frequent falls, and inability to deliver as planned theoretically. For the player has seen it all, because so many things in public life are not as they appear. It’s only when you are there that the reality becomes visible. This is the reason why many leaders who have goodwill and enjoy public support appear to have lost track or contributed insignificantly when elected or appointed into office.
But despite all these challenges, one can’t decline to do something good just because something bad might happen. The risk is worth it….
Attahir wrote from Federal University Dutse
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