When I saw clips of the massive killings in Benue State by the Fulani herdsmen, I quickly had a flashback on a case involving a farmer called Jackson Sunday and a herdsman in Anambra State in 2015. Jackson Sunday in a bid to defend himself against a herdsman killed the herdsman in order to escape from the herdsman attack but recently on March 7th, 2025 he was sentence to death by hanging on the ground that he would have fled instead of trying to defend himself. This is a wrong judgement and a redicule to our judicial system. This judgement have raised contention in the legal and none legal environment.
Now, I begin to question our laws and ask certain questions:
- Should we continue to run when our lives are threatened and properties been vandalized?
- Is self-defense now a crime in Nigeria?
- Is a victim now an offender?
- Does herdsmen have the right to kill?
- What would have been the fate of Benue State if the reverse was the case?
I need opinions on the questions raised.
- Should we continue to run when our lives are threatened and properties been vandalized? Nigeria is a lawless country and a place were the poor have no say or right of anything, if you speak all try fighting for what is yours you get killed and no body will even cough about it. The only way out is for you to pray not to be seen In that difficult state.
- Is self-defense now a crime in Nigeria?
In nigerian it is now a crime especially if you don't have a upper hand in government or someone that will speak for you.
- Is a victim now an offender?
It depends, if you have and upper hand you will definitely be 100 percent free, but if you are common man out there you will face the full wrath of the law even if what you did is self defense.
- Does herdsmen have the right to kill?
No body is supposed to be above the law but the way in which this people killed and get away with it without any form of punishment from the law, it gives the impression that they have the right to kill, because I don't understand, they kill and nobody says anything about it, it's crazy.