By: Manoah Kikekon
 |
| Peter Obi, Festus Kenyamo, Wasiu Ayinde and Comfort Emmanson |
Former Anambra governor and Labour Party leader Peter Obi has called out the Nigerian government for its blatant double standards harshly punishing ordinary citizens while letting corrupt politicians and powerful figures escape accountability for far worse crimes.
His statement comes after Ibom Air passenger Comfort Emmanson, a young woman in her 20s, was swiftly banned for life and remanded in Kirikiri Prison for unruly behavior onboard a flight. Obi questioned the speed of her punishment, contrasting it with the impunity enjoyed by Nigeria’s elite.
Obi referenced the ancient philosopher Anacharsis, saying, “The law is like a spider’s web it catches the weak, while the powerful break through with ease.” He criticized the authoritarian decision to ban Emmanson without due process, asking, “What investigations were done overnight to justify this?, Why is there no compassion or fair hearing?, “Why do ordinary Nigerians face instant punishment while the powerful evade justice?"
Obi highlighted the case of Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, a close ally of President Bola Tinubu, who once held an aircraft hostage yet faced no consequences. He condemned a system where:
Young Nigerians like Emmanson are banned for life over minor offenses. Politicians & their cronies commit grave crimes (corruption, embezzlement, violence) but remain free and celebrated. Justice moves at "lightning speed" for the poor but drags indefinitely for the rich and connected.