Kanu – The Legal Verdict: From Speech to Terrorism by Lawson Akhigbe

The judgment from Justice James Omotosho detailed a clear link between Kanu's broadcasts and violent acts. The right to self-determination was acknowledged, but the court ruled that any such action not conducted within the bounds of the Nigerian constitution is illegal . The specific charges he was convicted on illustrate this distinction:· Inciting Violence: The …

Nigeria’s Supreme Court and the Art of Answering Questions Nobody Asked by Lawson Akhigbe

Once again, Nigeria’s Supreme Court has spoken—solemnly, authoritatively, and with the confidence of a referee who has blown the whistle after the players have gone home.In its latest pronouncement, the court has held that the President of Nigeria possesses constitutional powers to declare a state of emergency and, flowing from that, remove elected officials. Full …

The Politics of Performance: Kanu, Leadership, and the Wasted Power of a Moment by Lawson Akhigbe

For all the heat surrounding Nnamdi Kanu’s legal troubles, one thing must be said plainly: the supposed legal disagreement that some have tried to elevate into a principled debate has no grounding in any known law. It was, at best, courtroom revisionism; at worst, gaslighting in broad daylight. Let’s be clear. Kanu was not targeted …

Nigeria’s First Coup: When Democracy Took an Unexpected Public Holiday by Lawson Akhigbe

On a humid Lagos morning—because Lagos refuses to ever be cool—soldiers with fixed bayonets were busy shooing away a crowd of small boys outside the federal parliament. “Go ‘way, go ‘way! No children today!” they shouted, as if the country was merely expecting an unpleasant visitor, not a complete regime change. Across town at the …

MOWAA: THE MUSEUM THAT SPLIT A KINGDOM Reconstructing the Benin Royal Museum, EMOWAA, and MOWAA Controversy Through Verified Documents, Diplomatic Records, and Official Statements By Melanated Ovienzowoba

Document Access and MethodologyThis investigation draws on:- Official Benin Dialogue Group (BDG) statements from 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023- Incorporation filings related to the Legacy Restoration Trust, EMOWAA, and MOWAA- Public statements from the Oba of Benin and Governor Godwin Obaseki- Statements from donor countries (Germany, Sweden, UK)- Bundestag records on German restitution policypublicly available …