My Awful Court Experiences
I have been at courtroom regularly because it's very educative room where participants get a glance and understand what the Law of the Land says and implied. The lawyers are legal experts and they fought profusely to defend their clients with legal facts and correct logic. But this time, the case involved my humble self.
On 6th Nov., 2002. I was at my friend's shop. He sells and repairs phones. As a student then, during holidays, there are less activities for me so I usually went to my friend's shop to help him out. His shop is located at the ever busily road called Ohanku Road. It's a plaza with other shops of several accessories sold there.
In Nigerian Society, Shop Owners pays their licences per shop. So in that Plaza, all the shop owners will pay their licences legally. There are many Governmental agencies roaming around to collect those revenues. Our government is facing a lot of challenges in collecting revenues, thus out-sourcing it to other private organization which in turn uses thugs to operates. Those "thugs" dressed like governmental agencies and fully backed by law to collect those funds. These funds does not get into the purse of Governments because those "thugs" will never pay into government after collecting the money. There are high occurrances of "fake" revenue collectors as those "thugs" keep increasing in number to collect and victimize the shop owners with force for the money.
However, with best knowledge of the activities of the fake revenue collectors and thugs, Government decided to be discreet in announcing the date for licence payment and the name of private revenue organization to collect the money for them. Shop Owners are victims because they might not know when the date of commencement of licence payment and the name of the organization genuinely in-charge. Many shop owner will not pay, not that they don't want to obey civilly but don't want to be victim to fake revenue collectors.
At the said date above, we were having peaceful day till policemen came to our shop and got some arrested. I was among the arrested suspects while my friend, shop owner escaped. We did not know the reason at first because of the manner at which the clandstine operation of the policemen. At station, we were told of the crime, pleading and begging from us was not heard. Some of us are mere visitors and clients at the plaza but policemen can't distinguish us but decided to lock us up! We suffered and as it's a case against the state. We were not bailed but charged to special court the next day. At the courtroom, we all was judged as one entity till one of the lawyers cleverly ask if these large number of suspects owned shop separately and should be checked. The judge obliged and some of us was left of hook. We, visitors and clients were discharged and acquitted because there was no case for us to answered. That's my freedom and intense and awful feelings of "going to jail" or "paying huge fine" was rushing on my mind before.
At the end of the court session, actually the other suspects were released freely because governmental agencies can't be able to indicate the real identities of their revenue collectors. It was established that those shop owners are willing and able to pay but don't know who to pay to. We all was happy at the end and the cleverness of our legal team makes it possible.
Conclusion
A popular saying: Court is the last hope of a common man is very true because it is a revered place where common man's fate are decided instantly after legally examined. A rule of law are upheld here, perpetrators are punished and victims are freed cum rewarded. I'm a Victor, not a Victim!
