Nigerians are in hell in their own country – Senior lawyer

By John Ogunsemore

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa has said the security agencies are taking advantage of cyberstalking/bullying and terrorism laws to hound citizens.

He said this has made the country comparable to living in hell.

Okutepa stated this in an X post over the weekend following the prosecution of activists, Dele Farotimi, Omoyele Sowore and Mahdi Shehu and the arrest of TikToker, Olumide Ogunsanwo aka SeaKing for cyberstalking, cyberbullying and terrorism-related offences by security agencies.

According to him, most Nigerians, including lawyers, are intolerant of truth because they “want to be worshipped”.

“Most Nigerians have the propensities to enjoying sycophantic praise worshipping even when they are wrong.

“The other day, I made comments on the wrong use of law to achieve a predetermined agenda not rooted in due process.

“A lawyer was angry that I made such comments. He said I should have heard his own side of the story. But my comments were not directed at that lawyer but the law enforcement agents who were misusing their powers of arrest and detention. I did not know who was behind that abuse of power.

“Today, Nigerians are in hell in their own country. Cyberstalking and bullying are the newest offences in the dictionary of those who have chosen to sniffle the freedom of Nigerians.

“Terrorism is another offence. The security agencies are ready to cooperate with those who have the means of production,” Okutepa said.

Okutepa, an advocate of institutional reform, cautioned security agencies against using the law as an instrument of persecution.

He equally advised lawyers not to be party to injustice, noting that “law is supposed to be used for peace, order and good government, not the other way”.