By GODWIN KELECHI The Unusual Coup Target A Killing that Defied the Coup’s Pattern WHEN Nigeria’s first military coup struck on 15 January 1966, the logic appeared brutally clear: remove the political heads and military high command of the First Republic. Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa was killed. Northern Premier Ahmadu Bello was assassinated. Western Premier Samuel […]
The Psychology of Assumptions vs. The Discipline of Proof MOST legal disasters begin not with malice, but with assumptions. The WhatsApp screenshot mistake persists because people confuse personal conviction with legal sufficiency. This error reflects a deeper systemic challenge in Nigeria’s legal culture, where informal transactions and personal attestations are common. But courts operate on […]
The Signature that Convicts MOST Nigerians fear arrest, prosecution, or civil liability when they know they have crossed a legal boundary. What many don’t realise is that the legal system is equally unforgiving when trouble is accidentally invited. In law, intentions matter far less than conduct — and conduct leaves evidence trails. Across Nigeria’s criminal […]
By JULIET EKANEM Can Cross River Still Call Itself Nigeria’s Tourism Capital? By 2025, the claim rings hollow.FOR nearly a decade after Nigeria’s democratic return, Cross River State stood as a national case study for how tourism and sports could shape sub-national prosperity. Between 1999 and 2007, deliberate public financing, destination marketing, and […]
The Freedom to Access Care Is Now the Freedom to Afford It A Nation That Insures Health but Not Healthcare AS 2025 draws to a close, Nigerians enrolled in health insurance schemes are discovering that coverage no longer guarantees care. Hospitals across the country have quietly raised service fees, triggering a domino effect that has […]
Institutional Accountability & Democratic Linkages Nigeria’s Decline in Global Rankings NIGERIA is closing 2025 with a grim reputation. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) now ranks the country 122 out of 180 in its latest Press Freedom Index — a fall from 115 in 2024. Beyond the numbers lies a worsening pattern of intimidation, detention, and legal […]
Custody, Conviction, and the Clock: A Deep Dive into Sentencing Law The Problem With Assumptions WHEN someone is remanded in custody pending trial, the assumption that this period will automatically count toward any potential sentence is widespread but legally flawed. The law protects personal liberty at every stage of the criminal process, but it also […]
The Legal Fine Print Nigerians Never Read CONSTITUTIONAL rights sound powerful when quoted, but incomplete when applied. Bail is one of those rights most Nigerians claim but few truly understand. The law does not ask: “Did you demand bail?” The law asks: “Can you be released safely without damaging the process?” This question is the […]
Understanding Police Suspicion vs. Legal Burden MANY Nigerians misunderstand the difference between suspicion and proof. The police are empowered to act on reasonable suspicion. The courts are empowered to act on proof beyond reasonable doubt. The citizen’s mistake begins when they assume the police are applying the court standard at the point of arrest. In […]
The Weapon Called “Statement” The Statement Myth Nigerians Keep Falling For ACROSS Nigeria, few phrases have done more quiet legal damage than: “Just write your statement.” It is delivered casually, often by investigators who sound reassuring, almost conversational. Yet beneath the calm tone is a machinery of criminal procedure that treats written words not as […]