By Francesca Hangeior
A member of the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, has lamented that severe hunger and extreme poverty faced by many poor and vulnerable Nigerians are pushing people to criminal activities.
Ezeilo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a Law Professor at the University of Nigeria stated this in a statement on Monday in reaction to the looting of the Abuja warehouse allegedly belonging to the Federal Capital Territory.
Recall that some residents of the Federal Capital Territory on Sunday looted a warehouse reportedly belonging to the National Emergency Management Agency.
She, however, reminded Nigerians that despite the current economic challenges and desperate times, stealing is still a crime, warning that anyone caught will be held accountable according to our Penal Laws.
She said, “It is disheartening to read about the looting of the Abuja warehouse belonging to FCT. The severe hunger and extreme poverty faced by many poor and vulnerable Nigerians can push them towards criminal activities. We should all be aware of this situation.
“I remember a case from 1994 where I defended a 17-year-old orphan girl on appeal. She had been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing cassava from a farm. She was hungry and desperate, yet the magistrate still applied the law.
“However, I pleaded as a Pro bono defence lawyer, then representing the Society for the Welfare of Women Prisoners (SWEWP), for her to be acquitted based on her age, being a first-time offender, and the circumstances that led her to commit the crime.”
Ezeilo, who is also the founder and Director of Women Aid Collective, a non-governmental organisation advocating the human rights of women and young people in Nigeria, however, called on government at all levels, to work in partnership with non-profit organisations and the private sector to consider implementing food banks, food stamps, and other social security and safety net options to provide food for the poor and most vulnerable across the country.
She added, “The lesson for Nigerians in these challenging and desperate times is that stealing is a crime, and if caught, you will be held accountable according to our Penal Laws. Unfortunately, the poor have limited choices and often must choose between a rock and a hard place.
“Notwithstanding, stealing and converting goods and food shouldn’t be an option. Now is the time for the government, at all levels, to work in partnership with non-profit organizations and the private sector to consider implementing food banks, food stamps, and other social security and safety net options to provide food for the poor and most vulnerable Nigerians.
“This is especially important for children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and the elderly.”