Under the banner of "The Voice of the Common Man," a group of concerned youths have demonstrated against suspected corruption in Nigeria's judiciary by taking to the streets of Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.
Due to differing rulings in various regions of the nation, youths, who numbered over 200 and were drawn from the six geopolitical zones, organized the nonviolent demonstration.
The youths said they were no longer comfortable with the decisions made by the judiciary, particularly those pertaining to the general elections of 2023, and accused them of making arbitrary rulings.
The youth, who were holding placards, declared that the Nigerian court was no longer the last hope of the common man. They mentioned the rulings in the states of Imo, Rivers, Plateau, and Zamfara as examples of rulings that deprived the populace of their right to vote.
Some of the placards read: “Say no to corruption“, “Give the Common Man Hope”, “Protecting the Peoples Mandate, believe Nigeria would work” etc., amongst others.
Speaking, one of the organizers, Brian Kroma Sagbe, stated that the protest's goal is to raise awareness of the problem and tell the Nigerian Judicial Council that enough is enough.
Sagbe said: “The protest is to call on the high and low in the society to look out for the level of corruption in our judiciary system. Look at the cases of Imo, Zamfara, Plateau, Rivers and other parts of the country.’
Additionally, Kabbiru Libda, a concerned Nigerian youth, expressed dissatisfaction with the judiciary by saying: “Because what is seen nowadays is like the judiciary in the country is run like a place where justice can be bought after election. If the system is not addressed then there is danger looming.”
