Introduction: The Uncomfortable Truth “We are all criminals.” The statement sounds outrageous. It offends our moral sensibilities. It appears to insult the honest citizen, the religious devotee, the respected public servant, the loving parent, and the law-abiding professional. Yet, before dismissing it as absurd, it is worth examining what we mean by crime, criminality, conformity, and deviance. The central argument of this essay is simple, yet profoundly disturbing: the line separating the criminal from the conformist or law-abiding person is far thinner than society is willing to admit. Indeed, that line is often so thin, so fragile, and so dependent on circumstance that many of us stand on both sides of it simultaneously. To understand this, we must begin where all discussions of crime properly begin – not with the criminal, but with the law. Crime Exists Because Law Exists A crime is not merely a harmful act. It is not simply an ...
Power, when unchecked, breeds impunity; but sometimes, all it takes is a single thorn to pierce the flesh of a seemingly untouchable force. In the hallowed chambers of Nigeria’s Senate, where power is often bartered in whispers and handshakes, a tempest erupted—one that neither tradition nor intimidation could silence. (It may interest you to read: The Mightiest of Them all , which depicts the boundless power of man, or, should we say woman, to do and undo.) Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a woman whose name now echoes across continents, hurled an accusation that cut through the political theatre like a sharpened blade. Her target? None other than Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a master of political survival, a man whose influence is woven into the very fabric of Nigerian governance. What transpired behind the closed doors of Akpabio’s Uyo residence remains shrouded in allegations and counter-narratives, but Natasha’s claim of sexual harassment was more than a personal g...