New Telegraph

The battle to stop evil

The Robbery and Firearms Tribunal was in session. It was a typical court setting, except that the Judge had stern-faced military men as co-judges on either side of him. This was a common sight in the 70’s and 80’s. The stuffy courtroom had no empty seat. Outside the courtroom, thousands of people milled around, and law enforcement officers had a pretty rough time trying to maintain a semblance of order.

A man’s life hanged in the balance over a testimony most people considered dubious. The court clerk wiped his brow with his dirty handkerchief as he called the case. The accused was led in handcuff and leg-cuff to the dock. He was a tall, dark complexioned man of athletic built. In his late twenties or early thirties, he looked gaunt and sick.

He had tears in his swollen eyes. Intermittently he tried to wipe the tears with his cuffed hands. The judgment was not only ready, but it was well known that the accused had been found guilty. Some of the accused’s relatives sobbed silently.

They knew, as everyone knew, that the judge’s final and inevitable words would be “the accused had been found guilty of all the charges preferred against him, and is hereby sentenced to death in a manner to be determined by the governor of the state.” That was death by firing squad. The Judge cleared his throat, stole a glance at the two military members of the tribunal, then he turned to look at the accused. His head dipped down to commence delivering the judgment. Just then the door creaked open loudly. A very old traditional ruler walked in, ramrod straight, with his hat on and supporting himself with a walking stick.

He walked straight to where the judge sat and removed his hat. As the police rushed to stop him, the Judge ordered the police to let the court hear what the chief had to say. “Judge, I am the village head of that young man’s village,” he pointed at the accused with his walking stick. “I was with his father when he married his mother.

I saw him when he was born. I watched him grow up. He has never, ever stolen in the village. He is not a thief. If he were a thief, I will not be here. He drinks and he does other adolescent stuff. I understand that some people brought him here to be killed and I came to wash my hands clean of his blood. I came to let God know that I spoke for him and tried to save his life because he is innocent.

I came to be clean before God because one day I will stand before God in judgment. Now God is my witnesses, and everyone within earshot is my witness that his blood will neither be in my hands nor on my conscience. Good bye.” He turned and walked out of the court as dramatically as he entered it. Time froze. The judge turned to the accused and asked for the traditional ruler’s name. He wrote the name down and also wrote down everything the man said. That traditional was Chief Okon Ukpe. He was as straight in his conduct as an electric pole and moralist of the deepest hue. He wore honour, righteousness and courage like badges.

As a traditional ruler his life was above reproach. Chief Ukpe could not sleep when he heard of the young man’s predicament the night before. Without discussing with anyone, he boarded a vehicle to the town where the court was sitting to do what he did. He knew that he could be docked for contempt of court. He knew he could suffer grave consequences. But he did not care – someone needed help and, like the Good Samaritan, he had to help. A man of deep conviction he saw what he had to do as a duty. He had to show up as a friend of the court even if the court did not summon him.

The case was reviewed after his submission, and the young man, who was completely innocent was released. Those were the days when most traditional rulers sought to leave a good name behind – not wealth. When they lived for people and fought for people. When they were prepared to go to any length in order to right a wrong.

The problem of Nigeria was captured in one of Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr’s quotations: “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

That is what is ruining Nigeria. We (led by President Muhammadu Buhari) must not only do good, we must all fight evil and stop killings. We must go to where evil has reared its ugly head and confront it. We must strut this country like lions condemning evil. For the Bible says that the righteous are as bold as lions…not as timid as chickens.

Read Previous

‘INEC and new polling units’

Read Next

2023: Dissecting Orji Kalu’s significant response on presidential aspiration

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *