Litigation

By Anderson Ogaga Djegbada
In Nigeria, it is axiomatic that when an accused person is found guilty of a crime, he is convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment and/or fined. In the end, one realizes that the main victor is the state, as one more criminal is taken off the street, while she, the state, is further “compensated” with the fine handed down against the accused person. Unfortunately, the victim of the offence, who suffered financial loss, injuries and/or psychological trauma, is only “compensated” with the fact that the accused person has been convicted and punished. The only option left for the victim was either to file a civil suit to claim for damages, or take solace in the cliché, “let the will of God be done”.
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