There are moments in a nation’s history when a single court ruling reveals not just the flaws in its laws but the rot in its conscience. The recent sentencing of Akeem Jimoh, a 28-year-old auto mechanic from Osun State, to three years in prison with hard labour for stealing 17 tubers of yam worth ₦35,000, is one of those moments.
Let’s be clear: what happened in that Osogbo courtroom—presided over by Magistrate Muibah Olatunji—is more than a miscarriage of justice. It is a tragic indictment of a judicial system that has lost its humanity, one that routinely criminalises poverty while excusing the excesses of the rich and powerful.
Akeem pleaded guilty. He admitted that he stole because he was hungry. He begged for leniency. Instead of compassion, he was met with cruelty. No option of a fine, no non-custodial sentence, just prison, hard labour, and shame. For yam. Not murder, not armed robbery. Yam.
A Legal System that Crushes the Poor but Forgives the Powerful
What offends me most is not that the law was applied—it’s that it was applied selectively and vindictively. In Nigeria, the poor are shown the full weight of the law; the rich, only its velvet glove.
Just look around:
Abdulrasheed Maina, who stole over ₦2 billion in pension funds, got a relatively short sentence. He enjoyed due process, appeals, and even comfort.
Farouk Lawan, caught red-handed collecting a $3 million bribe, was given seven years—still more lenient than Akeem’s three years for food.
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Diezani Alison-Madueke is accused of looting over ₦100 billion. She lives freely abroad while her seized assets are auctioned quietly with no real accountability.
Orji Uzor Kalu, convicted of stealing ₦7.6 billion, is now back in the Senate after a technicality led to a retrial.
And if you needed more proof of how justice in Nigeria is reserved for the powerless, remember the infamous words of Adams Oshiomhole, former APC National Chairman, who once declared at a political rally:
“Once you join the APC, all your sins are forgiven”
In a country where political affiliation buys you immunity, what hope does an ordinary citizen like Akeem Jimoh have?
Petty Crimes, Harsh Sentences – A Pattern of Injustice
Unfortunately, Akeem’s case is not isolated.
In Ibadan, 20-year-old Samuel John was sentenced to six months in prison without an option of fine for stealing ₦20,000 worth of beans. Another hungry young man, another broken future.
Even more horrifying is the case of Segun Olowookere, who, at just 17 years old, was sentenced to death by hanging for stealing hens and eggs using a wooden gun. He spent ten years on death row before finally receiving a pardon in 2024. His crime? Hunger and foolish desperation.
Other Countries Show Compassion—Why Not Nigeria?
In other parts of the world, justice has evolved to reflect compassion and reason:
In Canada, theft under $500 is usually treated with non-custodial measures like fines or probation.
In the United Kingdom, eating stolen food inside a store is not a criminal offense if the person has not tried to leave with it. Hunger is viewed as a mitigating circumstance, not a criminal intent.
In many Scandinavian nations, prison is used as a last resort—primarily for violent offenders. Their systems focus on rehabilitation, not retribution.
So, I ask: why is Nigeria still enforcing colonial-era penal codes with such ferocity against the poor, while billion-naira looters walk free in designer suits?
We Are Wasting Public Resources to Punish Poverty
Let’s not forget the economic cost of this madness. The government will now spend hundreds of thousands of naira every year to feed, house, and medically care for Akeem—money that far exceeds what he stole. It’s wasteful, unsustainable, and unjustifiable.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to channel offenders like him into community service, probation, or skills training? Wouldn’t that be more humane, more productive, and far less expensive?
Recommendations: Time to Act
This cannot continue. Here’s what must be done:
1. Review Sentencing Policies
The National Assembly and judiciary must enact comprehensive sentencing reform. Petty, non-violent crimes—especially those driven by poverty—should attract restorative, not punitive justice.
2. Expand Non-Custodial Sentences
Magistrates should be empowered and encouraged to use alternatives such as community service, probation, and compulsory skills training. These are cheaper, more effective, and morally just.
3. Appeal and Overturn Inhumane Sentences
I strongly urge Amnesty International, NHRC, and human rights lawyers to immediately appeal Akeem Jimoh’s sentence. At the very least, he deserves an option of fine or a reduced sentence with access to rehabilitation.
4. Demand Equal Justice
The judiciary must eliminate double standards. There cannot be one law for the poor and another for the politically connected. The courts must serve all Nigerians, not just the elite.
5. Fully Implement the Non-Custodial Measures Act (2019)
The legal tools already exist. The Justice Ministry must ensure nationwide adoption of this law to reduce overcrowded prisons and redirect our justice system toward rehabilitation.
6. Amend the Constitution to Protect the Vulnerable
It’s time to constitutionally prohibit imprisonment for crimes of survival—particularly when food or shelter is involved, and when no violence occurred.
Final Thoughts: This Is Not the Nigeria We Want
What we are witnessing is not the rule of law—it’s a war on the poor. And a country that punishes hunger while rewarding corruption cannot prosper.
Akeem Jimoh does not belong in prison. Neither does Samuel John. Segun Olowookere should never have faced death. They are not threats to society. They are victims of it.
We cannot build a better nation by locking up its hungry and letting its looters walk free.
It’s time for Nigerians to raise their voices and ask:
Is this justice? Is this the nation we want to build?
Until the answer is “No,” and until we act with purpose, we will continue to sentence our future to rot behind bars—while those who plunder our nation live above the law.
#JusticeForAkeemJimoh
#FreeSamuelJohn
#ReformNigerianJudiciary
#EndJudicialDoubleStandards
