How land grabbers weaponised government institutions to hijack justice – Lawyer

A legal practitioner, Abu Arome, has accused an alleged “notorious land predator” of “systemic manipulation and the weaponization of government institutions” to intimidate and dispossess his non-Nigerian clients of their property.

Arome in a statement titled, ‘My Odyssey: battling land grabbers in the pursuit of justice, said the dispute began when his clients approached the court in September 2024 over an unlawful encroachment.

He added, “For over 13 years, no one ever accused my clients of forgery. That changed immediately after they dared to protect what was lawfully theirs.”

He added that he had also been dragged into the matter over “events allegedly committed in 2009 and 2013, years during which I was still a university student.”

Arome described the ordeal as evidence of “a deeper, more systemic rot,” saying, “I have seen how society, our media, our public institutions, and even many of our colleagues accept these injustices without scrutiny,” while “the press, hungry for scandal and funded by the highest bidder, publishes unverified allegations as if they were proven facts.”

He urged reforms, insisting, “The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) should, by law, be required to review all criminal investigations before any trial is initiated.”

He added that “our justice system cannot be great if the innocent must suffer to prove their innocence, or if lawyers are punished for standing on the side of truth.”

He asserted that “the fight for justice, in this case, is no longer just about land. It is about the soul of our legal system. May truth prevail and may Nigeria be great again.”