Legal practitioner Liborus Oshoma has raised concerns over the slow pace of justice delivery in Nigeria, highlighting the contrast with quicker judicial processes in other jurisdictions.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Oshoma compared the prolonged trial of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu with the rapid conviction of Simon Ekpa in Finland.
“At the end of the day, would you say truly that justice had been served? Because justice is a two-way traffic and not a one-way traffic. So that’s why I’m not looking at the years. I’m looking at the fact that justice had been served,” Oshoma said.
He emphasised that procedural delays, political interference, and lack of accountability have contributed to a backlog of unresolved cases in Nigeria.
“Unlike what we’ve seen in Finland, they’ve concluded an investigation even before arresting Simon Ekpa . And the moment he’s arrested, he’s confronted, and charged to court. And in less than a month, they are done with prosecution,” he added.
Oshoma further noted the role of lawyers and bar associations in ensuring timely justice in other jurisdictions, explaining that disciplinary measures are enforced where counsel unnecessarily delay proceedings. He contrasted this with Nigeria, where he said, “You are arrested here, and then it is after you are arrested that the police and then the investigating agencies will now begin to search for evidence, gather evidence.”
Discussing the broader societal implications, Oshoma warned that unchecked grievances could create future extremists.
“The society also should retrospect and look inward and ask itself, all of these people that have capacity to become Simon Ekpa tomorrow, but are not Simon Ekpa today, how do we deal with them to ensure that the society also look out for them so they don’t become extremist?”
He concluded that justice in Nigeria must be timely, consistent, and accountable to ensure fairness and prevent societal unrest.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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