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 ...
In the throes of political apathy and cowardice, Nigeria today bleeds from an incurable wound inflicted, not just by foreign invaders, but by the criminal silence of those entrusted with her guardianship. The systematic infiltration of Fulani herders—many of whom are not even Nigerians—into every crevice of our sovereign land has become one of the most daring episodes of silent conquest in contemporary African history. From Sokoto to Enugu, from Zamfara to Oyo, stories abound of farmlands destroyed, women raped, sons slaughtered, and communities reduced to IDP camps, while their ancestral lands are claimed by wandering cattlemen who wield AK-47s with more authority than our security forces ( Amnesty International, 2018 ). The police pay deaf ears, when cases of Fulani invasions are recorded. But, dare you touch even a cow of the Fulanis who have caused you severe harm, that is when the police will act, slamming you with several charges. And what do our leaders do? Nothing. ...