Convicted and sentenced to 61 years imprisonment, but actually 8 years(running concurrently), when there was always the option of it running consecutively \u2013 an apparently unremorseful, unperturbed and bubbly Abdulrasheed Maina \u2013 infamous fugitive and now confirmed pension lootist, ably assisted in walking out of court by nauseatingly fawning Nigeria Correctional Service personnel \u2013 cheerfully walked out of court waving and greeting well-wishers and anyone in sight while grinning from ear to ear.<\/p>\n
This is Nigeria, and Maina, might as well be dancing! If we know anything at all, we know \u2013 from the slap on the wrist sentence, through to the optics of air-conditioned conveyance (Black Maria is for the poor and #endsars protesters) \u2013 you can bet Maina\u2019s correctional experience is of the deluxe kind, only available to \u201cbig men\u201d.<\/p>\n
More significant to the grinning Maina, is that he knows, as sure as night turns into day \u2013 that he can tap into the “dark arts” of practicing Nigerian illusionist kleptocrats.<\/p>\n
He knows that down the line, a compromised judiciary(like every other facet of Nigerian society), might procure a lighter punishment or “technical” reversal of the conviction. Serving out whatever portion of the sentence he will actually do in well appointed confines and an executive pardon is also within reach.<\/p>\n
He knows, even from the 8 years sentence \u2013 a laughable sentence for a crime that is directly responsible for the deaths and incapacitation of countless numbers of pensioners \u2013 that ultimately, as is the norm, he will “never” receive sanctions equitable to his crime.<\/p>\n
He is of the virulent Nigerian elitist kind and knows he is a special breed. He knew he was not Olowookere Segun or Morakinyo Sunday \u2013 two poor buggers sentenced to death in 2014 by an Osun State High Court for stealing fowls!<\/p>\n
He knew his lot was not that of a staff of the popular eatery, Sweet Sensation \u2013 Oluremi Olayinka , who in April 2015 was sentenced to 266 years imprisonment by an Ogun state High Court for stealing N8 million from her employers.<\/p>\n
He knew he was of a special Nigerian caste of “magicians”, and no matter how many times he walked naked in broad daylight into the community barn to steal the yams \u2013 he will never get just recompense for his actions.<\/p>\n
To be sure, he knew this is Nigeria \u2013 where an Abuja High Court sentenced John Yakubu Yesufu(convicted pension lootist), who stood trial on charges of stealing N32.8 billion in the Police pension scam \u2013 to two years on each of three charges. Yakubu Yesufu was then offered a go-home option of a fine of N750,000 , which he promptly paid and strolled into freedom.<\/p>\n
That the application of law and sanctions in Nigeria is applied in an “Orwellian\u201d fashion \u2013 where some animals are more equal than others \u2013 is an existential reality. Kleptocratic Nigerian political office holders, civil and public servants will continue to mindlessly pillage the country, safe in the knowledge that they can get away with it or at worst, ala Maina, just bear a little discomfort for awhile.<\/p>\n
Maina, surely, must grin on, emboldened by the knowledge that his kind will never suffer the indignities and suffering that pensioners are plagued with in this country to access meager but just entitlements.<\/p>\n
Maina knows, as do we all, that we live in a society as encapsulated by French economist, writer and former member of the French National Assembly, Frederic Bastiat, who said, and he could well have been depicting Nigeria : “When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it”.<\/p>\n
Diezani Alison-Madueke certainly must be grinning wherever she is \u2013 even as her golden bra’s and other assets are exhibited publicly for sale! She knows, like any discerning person will know \u2013 that golden bra’s and all \u2013 will most certainly be re-looted and swallowed up in the odious, slimy cesspool inhabited by fellow thieving kleptocrats.<\/p>\n
Yes, they all grin on! Today’s kleptocrats and yesterday’s \u2013 bound together, like dope fiends \u2013 by the \u201caddictive highs\u201d derived from manic conspicuous consumption and avariciousness.<\/p>\n
They grin on \u2013 sure in the prowess of their “dark arts” \u2013 unabashedly naked thieves charmingly assured their plunder of the communal “yam barn” will never be deservedly punished. They know \u2013 that this is Nigeria!<\/p>\n
Victor Ikhatalor
\nHuman Rights Defender and Good Governance Advocate
\nTwitter: @MyTribeNigeria
\nEmail: kingjvic7@gmail.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Convicted and sentenced to 61 years imprisonment, but actually 8 years(running concurrently), when there was always the option of it running consecutively \u2013 an apparently unremorseful, unperturbed and bubbly Abdulrasheed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n