When Biro is mightier than bombs

It is rather so unfortunate that I found out that I am fighting a lonely war for justice all the time, when I realized what my fundamental human rights are. But fighting in defense for rights in my country has always been expensive for the poor that, seeking justice seems absolute waste of time.

Myself is a victim of rape of justice severally either that I couldn’t afford to pay for legal service for defense in the court of law or, as may seems - justice system itself was calling for money from me; which I could not afford. In such cases I have lost justice and justice denied. But I have never given up recalling or seeking for the full recovery all my lost justice on time, realizing that there’s  power in biro that is mightier than swords, guns and bombs.

In reflection, is one of the reasons why there’s increasing wave of violence by vulnerable young people in Nigeria and in Africa; when justice for the poor is hard to get. When majority poor young Africans, are denied justice unjustifiably, they’ll turn around to seek redress through violence. I mean through swords, guns and bombs you see everywhere.  I tell you truth; where there is no justice, there wouldn’t be peace. Check it round, I wouldn’t lie.    

I have fought many battles, winning them all with the power biro since I discover it; is a testimony I feel like sharing with my readers, so they too can learn, share experience for scale up, connecting local voices with international best practices.  

How it all started-

In 2011, something happened. I had a little misunderstanding with my landlord on a house rent issue. He had increased the rent by 500% and he wanted me to pay for five years and I said no. So he locked up my apartment. I reported the case to the police and some policemen came with me to unlock the place for me to gain access. When we arrived, there was a sort of rift between the landlord and I and he threatened me with dogs; assaulted me in several ways. I decided to take a non-violent approach, so I wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police and I sent it via a courier service. On getting my letter, I think he just made up his mind on how to counter that approach. As a well placed man in my State/Country, he also went to the Commissioner of Police and wrote a petition against me, saying that I tried to kidnap his son. There, the case turned against me because of my vulnerability.

Upon his compliant, I was arrested and detained for four days on the charge of attempted kidnap, I was denied access to lawyer, was never taken to court. When I was eventually released I was threatened through the apparatus of police to pack out from the house. I was embarrassed and so I went to court to exonerate myself and seek redress to breach of my rights. But looking for that infringed right was extremely difficult for me, as I couldn’t afford a lawyer and when I eventually got one, it was not that right to the task. So I lost the case, and my right gone with the wind.

And I realized that something needed to be done for others like me, whose rights are trampled every day, and who can’t afford a lawyer too. Just too rivers to cross, so, I decided something needed to be done fast  recognizing high number of people in awaiting trial in detention out of poverty.

While I was detained in a police cell, there I met young people ranging between 18 and 35 years of age. I interacted with them asking each of them what brought them into detention. One thing I noticed was that there is so many co-operations, love and oneness in the cell, which if replicated outside, the world will be a better place for us all. The inmates were so open to me. The crimes that brought them to prison include murder, rape, fighting and stealing, fraud, kidnapping among others.
In the course of our interaction, many confirmed to me that they participated in the crimes they were accused of. When I advised them to change for the better when they leave jail, they said they had no regrets; they were not remorseful. In fact some said that if they get out of jail, they would continue with crime. I tried talking to the 23 inmates then in the Police headquarters’ CID cell; only one of them promised to change when he regains his freedom. When I persisted, the others told me that it was too late to advice them because it will not make them to change their minds.
They also said stressed that if I have the passion to see a new and transformed Nigeria that is violence and crime free, I should deal more with children, saying that crime is a circle. That they themselves took over from others, people who introduced them to crime while they were young. 

They insisted that, if I want to break the circle, I should go to the children and try to keep them off crime, that they on their part have already made up their mind and that I should leave them for another set of people to handle.
They asked me to mirror into the society that all the crimes they have committed are done in other ways. For instance one of them who were brought to prison on a rape charge said people in high positions have continued to rape the nation’s economy and other aspects of the life of the country and its people.
It was as the inmates talked to me about children that I reflected back on my passion and that gave birth to an organization I founded called- Children and Young People Living for Peace.

Stepping Stones

The peace I am talking about though is not the absence of war but peace of mind; how to create peace of mind for people – among spouses, at home, at school, at workplace and in and among communities among others. If we are able to do this, the larger peace that we are talking about will simply find its place.
So I concluded that my going to cell was never a setback but a stepping stone into doing well, into making a change. I am sure God allowed me go to cell so that I can get first hand information from the people involved in violence so as to do the work well. So when I came out from cell, I started dropping active involvement in advertising and public relations and became more focused on service above self. And I have no regret. I then met with other young people and share the passion with, and at which they bought they idea and became part of the team with many volunteers running the vision.

Recognizing what I went through, I currently work as a paralegal and provide means of empowerment by making access to justice to poorest poor women and youths. I also work to keep children and young people out of chains of radicalization and violent extremism by teaching peace at schools, including the teachers.

It is real that this work is challenging but more real is it that it is fulfilling. I feel it whenever I touch lives in small ways with greater impact. I get inspired to conceptualize local actions as solutions to problems. I am hopeful that peace is possible, and my team mates are superbly wonderful. Together we work more on researching local communities that have coexisted peacefully overtime, and then learn from them to tailor-apply in communities that are vulnerable to violence. This has been the secret of my local program successes over the years.

After that-
I began to search for deeper knowledge and best ways to defend my rights as vulnerable, and I went online. I was able to get materials to digest for insight and practical means of understanding where my rights starts and ends. Particularly, not to wait till rights are infringed but to act when they are about or threatened to be infringed. I also build synergies and networks with others in different countries for amplified voice. Thereafter, my story changed. I am not a lawyer only a barefoot- lawyer.

Listen to one of my real life Success Stories

Abubakar, male, student, 16 years, was arrested with two others and detained for 14 days in police cell on a case of homicide. The other two were released because they could afford bail. But Abubakar’s parents could not afford police bail fee neither a lawyer.  He was arraigned before the court and remanded in Juvenile remand home for adjournment. Abubakar was never brought back before the court and was abandoned for six months without trial in the remand home.    

Upon my visit to the remand home and after listening to his case, I pick up my biro and wrote a petition against the State Government for unfair hearing and wrongful detention of Abubakar for six months without trial to National Human Rights Commission, Nigeria.  Two days after, Abubakar was released and set free.

Things we often overlook could be the solution

If we are to reduced violence tendencies and occurrence in Africa by vulnerable young people, then we must begin to instill and teach them the power of biros. Teach them that biros can give us better results than swords, guns and bombs. Frame narratives around it and see if this will not give us the needed peace we are searching for so long!  I rest my case.