The Law is Watching: 10 Innocent Acts That Can Ruin You
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 and civil courts, cases abound where individuals became defendants not because they planned wrongdoing, but because they signed, stood in, spoke for, or stayed silent at the wrong time. Lawyers describe these as “unwitting liabilities” — ordinary people who assumed goodwill insulated them from consequences.
One of the most common examples involves signing documents for third parties. Under Nigerian contract law, a signature is more than handwriting — it is legal assent. The moment a person signs for another, especially without a formal power of attorney or written authorisation, they risk being interpreted as a party to the agreement. In disputes, this creates a rebuttable presumption of consent and responsibility.
Financial transactions pose even sharper risks. Handling funds for someone else, receiving payments, or temporarily holding banking or property documents can pull a person into allegations of fraud, money laundering, or conspiracy. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for example, does not exempt intermediaries who cannot prove lawful purpose or formal mandate for handling assets or money. Investigators follow the chain of custody — not the chain of excuses.
Legal experts warn that even informal representation can carry consequences. The law does not recognise “just helping” as a defence. Under the doctrine of agency, conduct can imply representation. When a person speaks for another in negotiations, receives money, or physically stands in for them during a transaction, they may be treated as an implied agent — bound by the legal effects of the act.
Perhaps the most underestimated risk of all is silence. In both civil disputes and administrative proceedings, silence where objection is reasonably expected can be interpreted as acquiescence. Courts have repeatedly held that failure to object, disclaim, or distance oneself in real time can amount to implied consent.
Nigerian law also mirrors the global principle that ignorance is not a defence. The phrase “I didn’t know” collapses quickly under scrutiny. Section 24 of the Criminal Code Act and principles under Nigerian jurisprudence reinforce that liability flows from the act itself, unless specific statutory defences apply — and ignorance is not one of them.
Ultimately, the law records names, signatures, possessions, conversations, and silence. These quiet acts become loud evidence. The difference between witness and defendant can be thinner than a single assumption.
