Two recent incidents have laid bare a festering wound in our society: the glaring inequality in how justice is meted out to the powerful versus the powerless. Fuji icon Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as Kwam 1, allegedly assaulted airline staff by splashing liquid from a flask on them during a ValueJet flight boarding in Abuja on August 5, 2025.
Barely a week later, on August 11, an ordinary passenger named Comfort Emmanson slapped a flight attendant on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos after refusing to switch off her phone. While Kwam 1 walked away with a mere public apology, Emmanson was swiftly arrested, charged with five counts, remanded to Kirikiriprison, and banned for life by the airline.
This disparity is symptomatic of a justice system rigged to shield the ruling class and celebrities while crushing the average Nigerian.
Echoing this pattern is Senator Adams Oshiomhole’s airport tantrum in June 2025. The former Edo governor, irate over missing an Air Peace flight at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed Airport, allegedly assaulted airline officials and blocked the terminal entrance, causing widespread disruption.
Videos captured the chaos, yet Oshiomhole faced no arrest or charges; instead, he issued a statement framing it as a misunderstanding. Compare this to Emmanson, whose actions, while indefensible, resulted in immediate detention and a judicial hammer.
Nigerians on social media have dubbed her “KWAM 2” in ironic contrast to Kwam 1, highlighting the double standards that protect the elite. These cases underscore a brutal truth: in Nigeria, justice isn’t blind, it’s star-struck and politically connected.
The logical reasoning behind this inequality is straightforward yet insidious. The ruling class and celebrities like Kwam 1 wield influence through wealth, fame, and networks that ordinary folks lack. Kwam 1’s status as a cultural icon likely prompted a lenient response from authorities wary of backlash from his political allies.
Oshiomhole, a senator with deep ties in the All Progressives Congress, benefits from the impunity that plagues Nigerian politics. Studies on governance failures in Nigeria reveal how corruption erodes institutional capacity, allowing elites to evade accountability while the poor bear the brunt.
This isn’t just about individual incidents; it’s a systemic perversion where the police and judiciary, often underfunded and corrupt, prioritize protecting the powerful to secure favors or avoid reprisals.
Consider hypothetical scenarios to illustrate the absurdity. Imagine an unemployed youth from Ajegunle splashing liquid on airline staff in frustration over a delayed flight. What would happen? Immediate arrest, possible mob justice en route to the station, and a prolonged trial in overcrowded courts.
Or picture a market trader blocking an airport gate like Oshiomhole; she’d be labeled a thug, manhandled by security, and forgotten in detention. Yet when elites commit similar offenses, apologies suffice, and the narrative shifts to “misunderstandings.” This hypocrisy fuels public cynicism, eroding trust in institutions meant to uphold equality.
Proponents of the status quo might argue that celebrities face unique pressures, like intense public scrutiny, which acts as their punishment—Kwam 1’s apology came amid viral outrage. They could claim laws apply equally, pointing to rare prosecutions of high-profile figures.
But these defenses ring hollow. Public backlash rarely translates to legal consequences for the elite, as seen in Oshiomhole’s 2013 “go and die” insult to a widow, which ended with an apology and no charges.
In contrast, ordinary citizens like Emmanson endure swift, harsh repercussions because they lack the buffer of privilege. This selective enforcement isn’t justice; it’s class warfare disguised as law.
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Nigeria’s justice inequality stems from colonial legacies and post-independence failures where the ruling elite hoard power, perpetuating poverty and corruption. The police, often viewed as tools of the powerful, prioritize elite protection over public service, leading to vigilantism in underserved communities.
Examples abound: politicians embezzle billions with impunity, while petty thieves rot in jail. This divide exacerbates social tensions, as seen in protests against economic injustice, where the poor are met with bullets, but elites negotiate settlements.
Ultimately, these incidents are harbingers of a crumbling social contract. If Nigeria is to thrive, we must demand reforms: independent judiciary funding, anti-corruption measures targeting elites, and public awareness campaigns to challenge impunity.
Without equal justice, resentment will fester, potentially igniting unrest. The ruling class must realize that a tilted scale eventually topples the entire system. For ordinary Nigerians like Emmanson, justice delayed or denied is a betrayal of our nation’s promise.
