The concept of justice is the most dominant in political thought and it is the bedrock upon which a somewhat egalitarian state is built. A just state abhors impunity, discrimination, marginalization, and oppression. If these elements are lacking, the rule of law becomes the interest of the strong, and the weak and poor are left reeling in pain.

The greatest strength of democracy lies in its ability to foster a just state; a state that is all inclusive wherein the citizens, regardless of their personal limitations, financial status, ethnicity and beliefs, are not treated unfairly and their rights are respected as enshrined in the constitution. When these goals cannot be attained and the disadvantaged are placed at the mercy of the advantaged (who seem to be above the law); the state ceases to be a democratic one in spite of its pretensions. The state could therefore be described as a feudal for the poor and weak are mere serfs.

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Conscious Nigerians living in Nigeria would unanimously agree that justice for the weak is a herculean task, for the sword and scales are firmly in the cupboards of the strong. The Nigerian system is firmly in the grasps of the strong, thus they are insulated from punishment. The law, regardless of what is on paper, serves the strong and wealthy and wasn’t designed to produce justice for the poor and weak.

In one of his most iconic songs critiquing the Nigerian system, Sorrow Tears and Blood, Fela Kuti sang, ‘’our leaders brag in impunity.’’ To stretch it a bit further, it extends to anyone who has enough money and influence to seduce Lady Justice. In Nigeria, the strong and powerful brag in impunity.

It is why victims of police brutality are shoved aside and the calls for justice fall on deaf ears. It is why thieving politicians are heralded as elder statesmen. It is why middle-class citizens would want to teach those ‘’beneath’’ them a lesson simply because they ‘’challenged’’ them. It is why a security agent will look you in the eye and say, “I go waste you here and nothing go happen.” It is why Leah Sharibu is still in captivity whilst her captors are being rehabilitated. It is why Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei is a free man living his best life with funds he can’t account for. It is why former IGP, Tafa Balogun, and former governor of Bayelsa State, Dieprieye Alamieseigha never spent a day in jail. It is why our prison cells are populated by those who cannot afford bail. It is why the family of Abubakar Idris Dadiyata will never get closure or justice. The long and painful list goes on.

So long as you know someone who knows someone and have a fat bank account, you can convince Lady Justice to do your bidding in Nigeria.

American labor leader and civil rights activist, Cesar Chavez, once said, ‘’History will judge societies and governments – and their institutions – not by how big they are or how well they serve the rich and the powerful, but by how effectively they respond to the needs of the poor and the helpless.’’

It is safe to say the Nigerian system shall be on the wrong end of history if it isn’t overhauled to serve each and every one regardless of their status, beliefs, and ethnicity.