Justice in Chains, Judges on Vacation: A Country’s Shame

Justice in Chains, Judges on Vacation: A Country’s Shame In a country where justice is supposed to be blind, it seems she has not only been ...

Justice in Chains, Judges on Vacation: A Country’s Shame

In a country where justice is supposed to be blind, it seems she has not only been blindfolded, she has been bound and gagged.

The ongoing trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has once again exposed the deep cracks in Nigeria’s judicial foundation. Despite the constitutional guarantee of fair and speedy trials, added to the fact that Justice James Omotosho, current presiding Judge acknowledged that the case has lingered unnecessarily and promised a speedy trial, what we witness is a case marred by delays, adjournments, and now abandonment.

The presiding judge, who boldly assured the public that the matter would be handled swiftly due to its prolonged nature has now joined the long line of officials who speak with one face and act with another. His recent decision to proceed on a months-long vacation, while a man remains unjustly held by the DSS, sends a chilling message: comfort matters more than constitutional duty. This is not just about Nnamdi Kanu, this is about every Nigerian. Because when the law can be twisted, ignored, or postponed for one, it can be done to all. The judiciary, meant to be the last hope of the common man, is gradually becoming a tool of convenience and delay.

What kind of society allows justice to be paused for leisure? What kind of nation silences the cries of the detained with court holidays?

We are witnessing a tragic erosion of conscience in high places. A court that goes on vacation while justice rots in detention is not fit to be called a court of law. It is a court of delay, a court of decay.

Until Nigerians demand more, not just from the politicians, but from the very judges who hold lives and liberty in their hands, justice will remain in chains, and those in power will keep sipping their cocktails on vacation while innocent men suffer behind bars.

This is not just a legal failure. It is a moral one. And it further stains the soul of the country.

Family Writers Press International