History has a way of drawing parallels between two lives, two destinies, two outcomes. One Jackson sang and danced his way into the hearts of millions, his missteps shielded by wealth, fame, and a legal system that bent over backward to accommodate him. The other Jackson toiled under the Nigerian sun, his only crime being the audacity to defend his life and livelihood, only to be condemned by the very system meant to uphold justice.
The Fortunate Jackson
Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, was no stranger to insecurity. But his insecurity was one of excess—too much fame, too much money, too many opportunists trying to exploit his vulnerabilities. His stalkers weren’t herdsmen with machetes but paparazzi with cameras, his attackers not faceless bandits but lawyers eager to milk his fortune dry. Yet, through it all, he had a system that, for the most part, gave him a fighting chance.
Even when the walls closed in during his 2005 trial, he had the resources to assemble a formidable legal team that ensured his acquittal. The world watched as the American justice system, flawed as it may be, at least gave Michael Jackson the benefit of doubt. He was shielded, protected, and at worst, vilified by the media—but never abandoned to the hangman’s noose.
The Unfortunate Jackson
Now, let us journey to Nigeria, where another Jackson—Sunday Jackson—stood on trial, not in the court of public opinion but before a system rigged against him from the outset. His crime? Defending himself against a Fulani herdsman, Buba Bawuro, who trespassed onto his farm, attacked him with a knife, and left him with no choice but to fight for his life. Unlike Michael, Sunday had no army of lawyers, no global outrage, no financial war chest to challenge the system.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria, in its wisdom, upheld his death sentence, sealing his fate and setting a precedent that has sent shivers down the spines of many rural farmers. It is not the first time this has happened. Kabiru Zelani in 2021. Kolawole Samson in 2020. Five Christians in Adamawa in 2018. Each case carrying the same eerie undertone—farmers defending their land, but the justice system defending their killers.
A Tale of Two Justices
Justice in Nigeria is often like the wind—blowing in the direction of power, influence, and systemic bias. When a farmer kills a herdsman in self-defense, it is murder. But when entire communities are wiped out in orchestrated attacks by herdsmen, it is labeled “clashes.” No high-profile arrests, no trials, just another statistic in a long list of tragedies.
It is no secret that many of these cases unfold in courts where Christian farmers stand before Muslim judges, raising pertinent questions about bias, impartiality, and the silent but potent factor of religious undertones in the Nigerian judiciary. While justice is meant to be blind, it often peeks through the blindfold when it serves certain interests.
Who Speaks for the Unfortunate?
Michael Jackson had a voice—millions of fans, media houses, and human rights groups who ensured his narrative was heard. But who speaks for Sunday Jackson? Who fights for the farmers who wake up every day not knowing if they will live to see the next? Who challenges a system that hands out death sentences to those who dare to defend themselves?
Nigeria cannot continue on this trajectory, where self-defense is a crime, and justice is a privilege, not a right. If we do not rise now, there will be more unfortunate Jacksons—more farmers sent to the gallows while their attackers walk free. The world must take notice. The nation must act. And history must remember that when one Jackson moonwalked to freedom, another was marched to the gallows.
The choice before us is clear: Will we continue to accept a system where justice is skewed against the defenseless? Or will we demand a Nigeria where every Jackson—fortunate or unfortunate—gets a fair shot at justice?
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the C.E.O, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com
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