A Growing Culture of Public Punishment ACROSS many Nigerian communities, a troubling pattern has become increasingly visible: individuals accused of theft, infidelity, or other alleged misconduct are publicly beaten, stripped naked, paraded through streets, filmed, and shamed on social media. These actions are often justified as spontaneous community justice or moral correction. However, under Nigerian […]
Understanding Core Criminal Law Principles in Nigeria IN Nigeria’s criminal justice system, public misunderstanding of basic legal principles often leads to rights violations, wrongful arrests, and avoidable convictions. While laws clearly define what law enforcement agencies can and cannot do, ignorance—on both sides—continues to undermine justice. Four frequently asked questions reveal critical safeguards embedded in […]
Why “UK vs Nigeria” Will Never Appear at the World Cup The Source of a Common Global Confusion EVERY World Cup cycle, a familiar question resurfaces: why does the tournament feature England, Scotland, or Wales, but never the United Kingdom itself? For many observers—particularly outside Europe—the absence of a “UK national team” appears puzzling. The […]
Birthright Citizenship in the United States: Law, History and Persistent Misinformation Introduction: A Question That Refuses to Go Away FEW questions in immigration law generate as much confusion as whether giving birth in the United States automatically makes a child a U.S. citizen. Social media debates, political rhetoric and misinformation have repeatedly blurred a legal […]
The Legal Moment Responsibility Attaches IN family law, the defining moment is not acceptance, preparation, or agreement. It is birth. From that moment, a child acquires legal rights, and corresponding duties are imposed on the parents. This framework reflects decades of jurisprudence aimed at insulating children from adult indecision. Legal responsibility arises automatically. It does […]
Sovereignty and the Shock of External Force THE suggestion that a foreign power could conduct military strikes inside Nigeria has provoked widespread alarm, raising a fundamental question at the heart of international law: does Nigeria’s sovereignty still matter? The short answer is yes. The longer, legally accurate answer is more complex. Sovereignty remains a core […]
House-helps and Married Men: The Limits of Legal Rights ACROSS Nigeria, stories of house-helps becoming pregnant by married men are increasingly common. Yet many still mistakenly believe that such pregnancies automatically confer the legal rights of a wife. Nigerian law, however, draws a clear line between marital status and biological parenthood. Marriage Creates Rights, Not […]
Law Does Not Manage Embarrassment IN many Nigerian homes, silence is often mistaken for resolution. When a married man impregnates a house-help, families scramble to contain reputational damage. But the law does not exist to protect social standing. It exists to protect rights—especially the rights of a child. From a legal standpoint, pregnancy immediately transforms […]
By MELVIN KOFFA Justice on Trial: When the Powerful Outsmart the Law NIGERIA is steadily sliding into a dangerous paradox: a country rich in laws but poor in justice. Across political parties, regions and administrations, public office has come to be viewed less as a platform for service and more as a gateway to wealth […]
Why the Law Prioritises Boundaries in Child Care CONVERSATIONS about child protection are often uncomfortable, especially when they involve family dynamics. Yet discomfort is not a valid reason for silence. Across legal systems, including Nigeria’s, child protection laws are shaped not by sentiment but by evidence—patterns observed repeatedly in abuse cases over decades. One of […]