There are degrees of crimes, ranging from stealing, murder, terrorism, lying on oath etc
In Nigeria political landscape vis a vis the masses, criminals are aptly described when one steals a cup of garri, a tuber of yam etc, such is a heinous crime that attracts stiff punishment.
If you, by contrast, an ex or current political office holder and you are caught stealing billions of public money, and the authority musters the boldness to charge you to court, you plead guilty or not, and you are given a pat at the back, with an executive sentence of one month in prison or with an option of fine. The fine will be so ridiculous, that the big guy simply dip his hands in that back pocket and pay instantly. Off he goes, a free man. See EFFCC vs Lucky Igbinedion, former governor of Edo State.
The other type of crime I really want to discuss here is 'attempt to commit crime' and perjury, ie lying on oath.
Looking at our legal system and the various cases normally charge to court by the police or legal officer, attempt to commit crime is rarely one of them. Not even when one is on oath in court and he is found to have lied before the judge, is anything done to prosecute such person.
The laws are there in our status book, but they lack potency.
Of course, just now, there is a politicised attempt to prosecute the former court of appeal president, Justice Salami for perjury. If it succeeds, will the punishment land him in prison? I doubt.
A Crime may not be too difficult to solve if suspect is truthful. The time for legal battles is reduced.
Unlike Nigeria, other countries where the law is to the letter, there is no apparent distinction between the big guys and area boys when they are involved in crime. For example, recently in Illinois, united State, former governor Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison,
For attempting to sell the Senate seat vacated by President Obama and then lying to the FBI about it.
For detail click the link bellow
If crimes are appropriately punished in respective of who is involved, our politicians will hurriedly find a cure to their kleptomanaic ailments.
Then our money will not be funnelled into the account of an individual but, available for public use. Development will increased, the poor will smile,and crime, terrorism, bombing, kidnapping will reduce.
My mother, with her hands pulling my ears, told me that for a child to perfect the act of stealing, he must first learn to tell lies.
