There is a dangerous sentence that many Nigerians like to utter in moments of anger or desperation. “Nothing will happen.” It is the language of impulse. It is the anthem of recklessness. It is what a man says before he raises a weapon in a quarrel. It is what a desperate youth says before he joins a robbery gang. It is what a fraudster tells himself before pressing “send.” But the truth is simple and sobering: something does happen. The law happens.
Nigeria is not a lawless space, however noisy or chaotic it may sometimes appear. Beneath the daily hustle of Lagos traffic, the crowded markets of Onitsha, the oil fields of the Niger Delta, and the quiet estates of Abuja, there is a criminal justice system with statutes, sections and punishments. And those punishments are not mild.
Take the gravest of all offences: murder. Under Section 316 of the Criminal Code Act applicable in Southern Nigeria, murder is defined as the unlawful killing of another person with intent. Section 319 of the same Act prescribes the punishment. It is death. Not a fine. Not community service. Death. In Northern Nigeria, the Penal Code contains similar provisions under Sections 220 and 221. The point is clear. When a life is intentionally taken, the state may lawfully take the life of the offender. That is the gravity the law attaches to deliberate killing.
Some will say, “But I did not intend to kill.” That is where manslaughter comes in. Under Section 317 of the Criminal Code, a person who unlawfully kills another in circumstances that do not amount to murder commits manslaughter. The punishment under Section 325 is life imprisonment. Think about that. A single moment of uncontrolled anger in a beer parlour fight. A reckless push during a heated argument. A dangerous act done “just to scare him.” If death results, the law may respond with life behind bars. Life.
Consider armed robbery, an offence that once terrorised our highways and still haunts some communities. The Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, particularly Section 1(2), provides that where robbery is committed with firearms or offensive weapons, or where violence is used, the punishment may be death. In other circumstances, life imprisonment is prescribed. That means the quick money that dazzles young minds can end in the dock of a High Court, facing a sentence that extinguishes freedom permanently.
Freedom is precious. Peace of mind is priceless. Before yielding to temptation, before acting in rage, before participating in schemes that promise easy rewards, pause and remember that the state has both the authority and the machinery to sanction wrongdoing.
Stealing, which many dismiss as “ordinary theft,” is not ordinary in law. Under Section 390 of the Criminal Code, stealing attracts imprisonment which may extend to three years, and in aggravated circumstances even more. That petty diversion of office funds. That removal of goods from an employer’s store. That quiet transfer from a company account. The consequences are not a slap on the wrist. A criminal record can follow a person for life.
Sexual offences are treated with increasing seriousness in Nigeria. Under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, rape is punishable with life imprisonment. The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015, particularly Section 1, reinforces the gravity of the offence and expands protection for victims. This is not a “family matter.” It is not something to be settled by elders behind closed doors. It is a felony. And the punishment can mean spending the rest of one’s natural life in custody.
Kidnapping, a crime that has caused untold trauma across parts of the country, is severely punished under various state laws and, in some instances, under the Terrorism (Prevention) Act. Several states prescribe life imprisonment, and some even provide for the death penalty in aggravated cases. What may begin as a desperate plan for ransom can end in a courtroom where the only ransom demanded is freedom itself.
Then there is fraud, popularly called “419,” a term derived from Section 419 of the Criminal Code. Obtaining property by false pretence under Section 419 attracts imprisonment of up to three years, while more elaborate frauds prosecuted under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004, particularly Section 14, may attract up to fourteen years imprisonment without the option of fine. The glamourised lifestyle on social media does not show the prison gates that sometimes close behind those convicted.
Domestic violence, often dismissed in our culture as a “husband and wife matter,” is firmly criminalised under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act. Section 19 of that Act provides penalties for various forms of domestic abuse, including imprisonment. Assault occasioning harm under Section 355 of the Criminal Code also carries up to three years imprisonment. Beating a spouse is not discipline. It is a crime.
Forgery, which includes falsifying documents, signatures, certificates or financial instruments, is punishable under Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code. Where the forged document is of significant value, the punishment may extend up to fourteen years imprisonment. That fake degree certificate. That altered land document. That forged signature on a contract. The temporary advantage gained may lead to long-term incarceration.
Bigamy is another offence many underestimate. Under Section 370 of the Criminal Code, any person who, having contracted a valid statutory marriage, goes on to marry another person during the lifetime of the first spouse commits a felony and is liable to imprisonment for up to seven years. Love triangles may be common in gossip columns, but in law, a statutory marriage carries legal exclusivity that cannot be ignored.
The pattern is unmistakable. The Nigerian criminal law framework, whether under the Criminal Code, Penal Code or special statutes, is structured to protect life, property, dignity and public order. The punishments are not theoretical. Courts across the federation impose them daily.
The average Nigerian must therefore understand that every action has legal consequences. A moment of greed can translate into years in prison. A burst of anger can lead to a capital charge. A decision taken under peer pressure can produce a lifetime of regret.
Freedom is precious. Peace of mind is priceless. Before yielding to temptation, before acting in rage, before participating in schemes that promise easy rewards, pause and remember that the state has both the authority and the machinery to sanction wrongdoing. The prison yard is filled with people who once believed nothing would happen.
The law may be slow at times, but it is steady. And when it finally speaks, it speaks with authority. Protect your future. Protect your liberty. Some actions are simply not worth the punishment that follows.
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