Reporting News and opinions
In 2004, in the heart of Edo State, 27 people reportedly lost their lives in circumstances so horrifying that they read less like a contemporary news report and more like a medieval witch trial.
There was a time when Nigeria did not wait for foreign capitals to define West African security. From the anti-apartheid struggle in Southern Africa to military interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone, Nigeria projected power, influence and diplomatic leadership. Whether one agreed with its methods or not, nobody doubted who was leading.
Nigerian public life has a tradition of justifying questionable legal actions with the doctrine of necessity, a principle originating from the UK's unwritten constitution. This doctrine allows for actions deemed unlawful under normal circumstances if they are necessary to prevent greater harm, such as escaping a burning building. However, Nigeria, with its codified Constitution of 1999, presents a stark contrast. The constitution, seen as the supreme law, renders any act inconsistent with it void. The article questions how the doctrine of necessity can coexist within a constitutional democracy like Nigeria, highlighting the tension between the flexible nature of UK law and the rigid framework of Nigeria's constitution.
Falsification of documents a national pastime both the government and the public
Shops is now an extension of the state’s security infrastructure. Congratulations! You’ve been promoted from entrepreneur to unpaid auxiliary detective. Pay for the cameras, the electricity (when NEPA remembers you exist), the cloud storage or DVRs, the maintenance, and the inevitable technician who speaks only in riddles. All so the government can claim progress while the actual primary purpose of government remains… whatever it was doing before this.
