In an age dominated by social media and big tech, the relationship between misinformation, disinformation and the criminal justice system has become increasingly complex.

Weeks ago, the Nigerian media erupted with the alarming news about a 16-year-old girl who had allegedly laced a pepper soup with toxic substances, resulting in the death of 5 individuals, including her ex-boyfriend. The sensational story was widely shared across mainstream news outlets, blogs, and social media platforms.

Some social media users even went as far as advocating for mob justice, calling for immediate punishment without the benefit of due process.

On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), misogynists seized the moment to push deeply harmful and gendered narratives, chanting ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”.

At this point, the accused, an underage girl who had yet to be proven guilty, became a symbol, not of an individual on trial, but of a larger ideological battle.

She was arrested by the police after being saved from being lynched and remanded in a facility for children. Weeks later, after human rights lawyers took an interest in the case, reports revealed that the accusations were hogwash.

The deceased had unfortunately died from generator fumes. If they had died from any other cause, the police might have left important investigative trails in pursuit of shadows.

The media had followed a post from one of the deceased’s friends on WhatsApp, determining that the young girl had a mens rea (mental intent), she was scorned by her boyfriend, and a follow-up action; she had laced his food with poison and thus she was guilty.

The police, who have the power of arrests and investigation, had this to say: “While authorities understand how the deaths occurred, they are still determining the precise cause of death, which was initially believed to be related to food poisoning or potentially toxic fumes from a generator.”

This incident is not an isolated case. Around the world, the proliferation of misinformation & disinformation through big tech platforms is becoming undeniably challenging even for criminal justice actors.

In Nigeria, as in many other countries, the speed at which false information circulates online poses a significant threat to the presumption of innocence — one of the most sacred principles of criminal law and human rights.

The presumption of innocence ensures that no individual is considered guilty before a fair trial and that the burden of proof rests with the prosecution.

In Nigeria, this principle is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, specifically Section 36(5), which states that anyone charged with a criminal offence is presumed innocent until proven guilty. It stems from one of the principles of natural justice: Audi alteram partem, no one must be condemned unheard.

However, this constitutional safeguard is often undermined by the explosive nature of trials that take place online.

The impact of misinformation on the criminal justice system has dire implications that cannot be exhausted in a short piece.

There is a need to revisit the functions of law enforcement agencies in our digital age. The Nigerian police force is already marred by a plethora of inefficiencies, and one cannot overlook the importance of transparency, accountability, and better funding for investigative work. Law enforcement agencies must be trained to deal with the pressures of public opinion and social media hysteria.

A robust system of checks and balances is needed to ensure that police investigations are not swayed by viral narratives but are instead based on facts and proper procedure.

Also, while freedom of speech is a fundamental right, the algorithms that amplify sensationalism must be recalibrated to prioritize truth and factual reporting over engagement-driven content.

In conclusion, the convergence of social media, misinformation, and the criminal justice system presents a clear and present danger.

The case of the “pepper soup girl” highlights the urgent need for systemic reform to protect individuals and institutions from the potentially devastating consequences of online falsehoods.

Only by strengthening accountability within media platforms, law enforcement agencies, and the legal system itself can we begin to mitigate the harm caused by digital misinformation and restore a semblance of fairness and integrity to the criminal justice process.

Adeoye is a lawyer & founder of Hope Behind Bars Africa. She is also a Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Oxford

By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja

In March 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Fifth Alteration (No.15), to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.

This Law altered the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the item “prisons” in the Exclusive Legislative List and redesignate it as “Correctional Services” in the Concurrent Legislative List; and for related matters.

It was sponsored by the Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Assembly. The Bill was drafted by Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, one of Nigeria’s leading legislative drafting lawyers.

Since the enactment of this law, none of the 36 States of Nigeria has engaged in the construction of a prison or correctional centre.

Instead in March 2018, we were informed that:

“The UK is to pay for a new wing in one of Nigeria’s largest prisons (Kirikiri Prison in Lagos) to help expedite the transfer of offenders from British jails.

Up to £700,000 will be spent on a 112-bed annex in Kiri Kiri prison in the country’s largest city Lagos.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it would enable eligible Nigerian inmates serving time in the UK to return home to complete their sentences.

The UK and Nigeria signed a prisoner transfer agreement in 2014.”

Already, private individuals namely Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and relatives of inmates are highly involved in the management of correctional centres (formerly known as prisons) in Nigeria. They provide food, clothing and health care services for inmates. Others provide educational and religious instructions for inmates.

All that is required is for formalising these processes through the signing of formal agreements and contracts between State Governments and private sector organisations to permit the said private sector organisations to build and manage these correctional centres.

Both philanthropic organisations, and the relatives of inmates would be more than happy to pay the fees for their incarcerated inmates to receive better food, health care, educational materials, recreational facilities, sports equipment, sleeping materials and other creature comforts!!

If this happens, the federal government could witness a decongestion of the correctional centres, a goal which it has failed to achieve since the year 1999!!!

Private prisons and correctional centres are already working in the United Kingdom and the United States of America for many years.

For example, “Private prisons in the United Kingdom are run by private companies under contract with the government.

How do they work?

Private prison companies enter into contracts with the government to house prisoners.

The companies pay the government a monthly or per diem rate for each prisoner or available space.

Who runs them?

In England and Wales, Serco, G4S, and Sodexo run private prisons.

In Scotland, one prison is run by a private sector operator under contract with the Scottish Prison Service.

Examples of private prisons in the UK

1. HM Prison Addiewell
2. HM Prison Altcourse
3. HM Prison Ashfield
4. B. Brook House Immigration Removal Centre
5. HM Prison Buckley Hall
6. C. Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre
7. Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre
8. HM Prison Doncaster; and
9. HM Prison DovegateDungavel”

Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,
Executive Director,
Nigerian Law Society (NLS)

By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja

In March 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Fifth Alteration (No.15), to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.

This Law altered the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the item “prisons” in the Exclusive Legislative List and redesignate it as “Correctional Services” in the Concurrent Legislative List; and for related matters.

It was sponsored by the Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Assembly. The Bill was drafted by Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, one of Nigeria’s leading legislative drafting lawyers.

Since the enactment of this law, none of the 36 States of Nigeria has engaged in the construction of a prison or correctional centre.

Instead in March 2018, we were informed that:

“The UK is to pay for a new wing in one of Nigeria’s largest prisons (Kirikiri Prison in Lagos) to help expedite the transfer of offenders from British jails.

Up to £700,000 will be spent on a 112-bed annex in Kiri Kiri prison in the country’s largest city Lagos.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it would enable eligible Nigerian inmates serving time in the UK to return home to complete their sentences.

The UK and Nigeria signed a prisoner transfer agreement in 2014.”

Already, private individuals namely Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and relatives of inmates are highly involved in the management of correctional centres (formerly known as prisons) in Nigeria. They provide food, clothing and health care services for inmates. Others provide educational and religious instructions for inmates.

All that is required is for formalising these processes through the signing of formal agreements and contracts between State Governments and private sector organisations to permit the said private sector organisations to build and manage these correctional centres.

Both philanthropic organisations, and the relatives of inmates would be more than happy to pay the fees for their incarcerated inmates to receive better food, health care, educational materials, recreational facilities, sports equipment, sleeping materials and other creature comforts!!

If this happens, the federal government could witness a decongestion of the correctional centres, a goal which it has failed to achieve since the year 1999!!!

Private prisons and correctional centres are already working in the United Kingdom and the United States of America for many years.

For example, “Private prisons in the United Kingdom are run by private companies under contract with the government.

How do they work?

Private prison companies enter into contracts with the government to house prisoners.

The companies pay the government a monthly or per diem rate for each prisoner or available space.

Who runs them?

In England and Wales, Serco, G4S, and Sodexo run private prisons.

In Scotland, one prison is run by a private sector operator under contract with the Scottish Prison Service.

Examples of private prisons in the UK

1. HM Prison Addiewell
2. HM Prison Altcourse
3. HM Prison Ashfield
4. B. Brook House Immigration Removal Centre
5. HM Prison Buckley Hall
6. C. Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre
7. Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre
8. HM Prison Doncaster; and
9. HM Prison DovegateDungavel”

Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,
Executive Director,
Nigerian Law Society (NLS)

Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, is someone who is hardly heard since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu mostly runs foreign affairs with Tuggar tagging along.

He is usually taciturn. Many Nigerians would like to hear Tuggar speak on the salient issues of our relations with other countries and international organisations.

Tuggar had his primary school education in Kano, secondary school was in Ilorin and Advanced Level Studies, East Sussex, England. He received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, from San Diego, in the US, MA in International Security, University of Bath, United Kingdom, and a Master of Studies from Cambridge University, United Kingdom.

His remarkable tenure, for almost six years as Nigeria’s to Germany, dovetailed to his appointment as Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, within weeks of leaving his position in Germany. Notable among his achievements in Germany were the return of stolen artworks worth over £100 million and the reactivation of the energy contracts with a German company.

Colleagues who know Tuggar describe him as making cerebral contributions while he was in the House of Representatives. What has happened to him? The burden of office? Indifference to public opinion or government’s policy of listening to itself and deciding to act without caring about what the people say?

Tuggar said Tinubu should embark on more foreign trips. He is not only not travelling enough but nobody should panic about the money to spend on those trips. An obviously angry Tuggar considered it beneath him to explain to Nigerians the importance of those trips, whatever they are.

People trained in those schools Tuggar attended tend to be more engaging when dealing with the public. They see public office as service, not a platform to “put their people in their place” over government policies and practices.

Tuggar made his defences of the high costs of these trips on live television to the bewilderment of his admirers who wondered what had happened to him.

Wasteful foreign trips did not start with Tinubu but that is not a sufficient reason to continue them. The economy is not as terrible as it was in the years other administrations embarked on jamboree.

Only Tuggar knows where he gets his figures from about the health of the economy to meet the financial consequences of these trips. The troubles are worsened by the fact that most of the expenses for these are in foreign currencies that batter the Naira daily.

Size of the delegations and duration of the trips are other factors that add to the costs.
Is it possible that as Minister of Foreign Affairs he is unaware of Nigeria’s ballooning foreign debts and that the country is still borrowing with leaner resources available to service the debts.

Why is he not making a case for our missions to be rescued from their state? He does not know that embassy staff are owed salaries, we owe rents, we are unable to meet our membership obligations to international organisations? If funding foreign trips is his private business, would he run them in the same way?

The Minister overstates the benefits of Tinubu’s foreign tours.

“Look at the benefits, you travel once and you get N2b6illion dollars of investment like he did to Brazil, where other countries are chasing after them. But President Tinubu was able to secure that, to invest in developing livestock. They are the largest player in that sector, slaughtering 50 million chickens every day, 8 point something million cows and look at the Brazilian cows that are 500kg compared to ours that are 250kg. This will also solve herders-farmers’ crisis.
“In fact, I would rather say we are not travelling enough, we should do more. Nigeria has the money. How much does travelling cost compared to the benefits? And how much does it cost comparing it to the things that the President has already addressed?”

Tuggar decidedly misses the points. Outside the Brazilian example he gave, which has not materialised, what are the results of the other trips? What do our missions do if it takes the President’s presence to negotiate investments?
For Tuggar, $2 billion is a huge investment because he is the exchange rate. Has he factored in the practice of most of the money being the costs the Brazilians would put on the equipment and animals they would bring into Nigeria?

By August 2024, Tinubu had reportedly spent N2.3 billion on foreign trips and related expenses in only six months.

With an attitude like Tuggar’s Nigerians have to kit up for long absences, to expectations that the President should travel more to keep up to Tuggar’s expectations.

We are on a long trip of government officials turning on scary hostility to answer the simplest questions because they consider unworthy of engaging them.

Finally…

NOT a whimper has been heard from Nigeria about the policies of President Donald Trump, including the planned deportation of over 3,600 Nigerians in what may be the first phase. We can at least ask that our people are treated humanely as they are herded home. Maybe, the fear of Trump withdrawing their visas is the most important thing on the minds of those who should speak.

HAVE Nigerians stopped being our brothers’ keepers? Can’t we make an exception for Muhammadu Buhari, who left office less than two years ago as President? Buhari is complaining about the hard times. The times are so hard he said he can hardly cope. Any proof? He said that he survives on rent from one of his three houses. My suspicion is that someone has cornered Buhari’s pension that is ambly captured in the budget. May the times improve so that he doesn’t put a second house on rent soon. It is also possible, at a time the North is attacking Tinubu’s policies, that Buhari is telling Tinubu, “You have not done well”.

THE best way to avoid having issues with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Phd, could be to address him as His Excellency, as he excels in everything he does. Soon, his tenure extension should be studied as a compulsory course in politics and imposed service. Congratulations, HE, IGP until 2027. I am suggesting, and beyond.

THE permanence of friendship or not in politics is playing out before our eyes. His Excellency, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State, former Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, former Minister of Transportation – he was in each of these offices for eight years – is now listed as one of the caustic critics of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Once the star boy of APC, a key figure in the wrecking of PDP, two-time Director-General of Buhari’s presidential campaign, Tinubu has just felt a mediated version of Amaechi’s tongue. When he unleashed himself on us during his campaigns for Buhari, Tinubu and company applauded. The truth, according to Amaechi is that Tinubu would do anything to keep power in 2027. You would think that a simple truth like this would not irritate the Tinubu camp as it is doing. Even the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle a Governor of Zamfara State, 2019-2023, who has done little about the insurgency that is claiming Zamfara, has time in his busy schedule, to warn Amaechi to stay off Tinubu.

NASIR el-Rufai left Chatham House, London, two years ago with people congratulating him that he was the next Minister of Defence. The former Kaduna State had extra bounce in his feet as he relished the moment. Tinubu had farmed out the question on insecurity to el-Rufai as the best head to handle it. People took it for a hint. El-Rufai was not even nominated for any position not to talk of being appointed. He is leading his own campaign on how poorly Tinubu has performed.

DEATHS while fetching fuel from accident scene of petrol tankers is the boldest reflection of the unimportance of life that our leaders have ingrained in our people who now are willing to die ekeing a living in the most dangerous ways. It is most difficult to explain to those who manage our humanitarian initiatives that with falling value of the Naira, the rising costs of living, that there are millions of Nigeria who do not earn N200, yes, two hundred Naira, a day. How do they survive? The answers are lost in statistics that do not realise there such people. Instead, they are averaged as “surviving on a dollar a day”.

WHAT is going on with our humanity? Are Nigerian social scientists studying the banditry, restiveness, killings and the brutalities entailed? What about those on the home front? Husbands are killing wives and the women replying in equal measures. Siblings are selling each other. Domestic violence has risen and the intensity of the assaults is terrifying. The assumption is that the harsh economic environment is translating to anxieties that lead to quicker flare ups. Can our experts provide answers to serve as survival skills and kits?

CONGRATULATIONS to the U-19 Nigeria female cricket team for an inspiring performance at the World Cup in Malaysia in its debut. The performance earned Nigeria a direct qualification for the next World Cup. Cricket is not only one of the neglected sports, it is almost rejected. The illegal National Sports Commission, in a consistent show of its version of accountable and latching at every event as photo opportunity, dispatched its Director-General Bukola Olapade, a half of the two-man NSC, to Malaysia, to hand the team $5,000, yes, five thousand dollars. How much did it cost to get Olapade to Malaysia, airfare and accommodation, in a class befitting his esteemed status? Was that the cheapest way of encouraging the team with $5,000? Again, congratulations to the team and the leadership of cricket which would continue the years of toil that birthed Malaysia 2025 well after the illegal NSC has gone.

Isiguzo is a major commentator on minor issues.

By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja

In the year 2022, Nigerian female singer, named, Lade sang a song whose chorus became a hit: “Adulthood Na Scam”!!!

It is not only adulthood that is a scam in Nigeria, it appears that we as Nigerians have a disingenuous talent to convert the most innocuous of activities into a scam!!!

As Nigerians we seem to have built a reputation for scams, a reputation that is not only limited to the territory of Nigeria but international!!!

We are reputed to have converted the age old habit of “pen pals” into a multi-billion naira scam called “romance mail scam a.k.a “yahoo-yahoo”!!!

Even when COVID-19 was ravaging the world, some opportunist Nigerians saw it as an opportunity to cash out through the “palliative scam” both here in Nigeria and in the United States of America!!!

Apart from the Indians, if there is any international prize for the greatest scammer, it would perhaps be won by a Nigerian.

This article focuses on another form of scam which many Nigerians persons are not aware of.

The scam by officials of the Nigerian Correctional Centres who are employed to keep offenders in custody and off the streets of Nigeria because the courts have pronounced such inmates as dangerous.

Now we are hearing that the officials of the Nigerian Correctional Centres are accepting bribes and unleashing these same convicted criminals back to the streets of Nigeria to commit more crimes as we are hearing in the case of the Delta State Correctional Centres.

When Very Dark Man (VDM) raised this alarm last year, he was summoned by the National Assembly, EFCC and the Nigerian Correctional Centres to provide “evidence” of his claim that BOBRISKY did not spend the period of his/her conviction inside the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Centre at Lagos (but in an hotel)!!!

BOBRISKY’s crime was a “victimless” crime, mutilation of the Nigerian currency (naira) by spraying it, so it is forgivable if such an offender spends the period of incarceration in an hotel room instead of prison. Even if he/she is a repeat offender and commits the same crime again, it is a “victimless” crime. The victim is the naira notes and our national pride and ego.

However, it is altogether a different matter, when those convicted to death for murder and other felonies, who are on death row are allowed to sneak out of the said correctional centres into the cities to commit more crimes and return to the same correctional centres. And then have the effrontery to share their loot with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Centres and fellow inmates.

“There is no fraud worse than a betrayal of trust” is a common saying, as it implies that when someone you trust personally deceives you, it is considered the most egregious form of fraud due to the added emotional damage beyond just financial loss.”

We are going too far, far too far!!!!

Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,
Executive Director,
Nigerian Law Society (NLS)