Bandits Roam Free While Citizens Face Trial: A Scathing Rebuke of Nigerian Governance and Judicial Hypocrisy.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | For SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“How the Persecution of Omoyele Sowore Exposes the Failure of the State to Protect Its People and Safeguard Freedoms.”

Nigeria today stands at a grim crossroads. On one path lies STATE REPRESSION where DISSIDENTS, JOURNALISTS and CRITICS are hauled before courts on dubious charges. On the other lies RAMPANT BANDITRY, ABDUCTIONS and VIOLENCE, terrorizing thousands of innocent citizens with apparent impunity. The recent pronouncements by the lawyer of human-rights activist Omoyele Sowore (that “bandits roam free while citizens face trial”) are not mere rhetoric. They are a sobering indictment of a government that seems more intent on silencing dissent than protecting lives.

This essay delves into the details of this accusation, unpacks the broader political and security context and argues forcefully why this moment demands not just outrage, but a national reckoning.

The Sowore Case: A Microcosm of State Misplaced Priorities. On 3 December 2025, Sowore’s lead counsel, Abubakar Marshal, delivered a blistering critique of the government’s latest prosecution of his client. According to Marshal, the government under Bola Ahmed Tinubu has embarked on a deliberate campaign to “shrink Nigeria’s civic space” by targeting ordinary citizens who demand accountability.

Marshal argued that while armed bandits (those who ABDUCT, KILL, RAPE, LOOT and DESTABILIZE WHOLE COMMUNITIES) roam freely, innocent Nigerians who only demand good governance are arrested, tried and harassed.

Consider the facts:

Sowore was arraigned on five-count charges by the Department of State Services (DSS), based on his social-media posts criticizing President Tinubu.

His lawyer challenged the competence of the suit and questioned the jurisdiction of the court.

Despite the protestations and even though the prosecution had only just received the defence’s objection, the court proceeded to grant bail on self-recognition.

The court noted that there was no evidence that Sowore posed a flight risk, that his passport had been deposited with the court registry and that he had attended previous hearings and yet he was still being prosecuted for exercising his right to expression.

Marshal’s conclusion was stark and unambiguous: a government that “NEGOTIATES WITH BANDITS AND PAYS RANSOM TO CRIMINALS” yet goes after citizens who only ask for accountability has perverted justice.

He called on Nigerians to “RISE and RESIST” such suppression, insisting that “until we are all free, we are not free.”

In short: the treatment of Sowore is not an isolated case, it is emblematic of a much deeper malaise, one that strikes at the heart of constitutional freedoms, the rule of law and state legitimacy.

The Reality of Banditry: Why the Complaint Is Not Hyperbole. To understand why the “BANDITS ROAM FREE” charge resonates (even beyond political circles) one must confront the stark truth about Nigeria’s security collapse. The state’s failure to stem banditry is well documented. A 2023 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) laid bare how violent groups in the northwest and other regions carried out widespread killings, kidnappings for ransom, rape, looting, mass displacement and even in areas near the seat of government.

Academic research confirms what many analysts and victims already know: banditry in Nigeria has evolved into a form of modern slavery and one in which vulnerable populations are terrorized, traumatized, exploited and stripped of basic human dignity.

More than that, analysts have tied this security collapse to deeper failures of governance. A recent study published by the International Institute of Academic Research and Development shows how institutional breakdowns, weak law enforcement, chronic corruption, youth unemployment, poverty, neglect of rural infrastructure and social services have all combined to create fertile ground for bandits to thrive.

In the words of one security analyst recently quoted by a major African media outlet: Nigeria’s insecurity is “rooted in governance failure.”

Thus, when Sowore’s lawyer condemns the government for focusing on silencing critics instead of combating criminal terror, he is not exaggerating. He is calling attention to a tragic inversion of priorities: JUSTICE for DISSENTERS, IMPUNITY for KILLERS.

Governance Failure: The Bigger Crime. What we see today is not merely a spike in crime; it is the gradual unraveling of social contract and the implicit agreement between government and governed that promises safety, justice and dignity. Political scientists often define “good governance” as the ability of a government to uphold the rule of law, ensure transparency, deliver public goods (security, infrastructure, social services) and respect civil liberties.

When these pillars crumble, governance failure follows and the consequences are catastrophic. Banditry, insurgency, fear, social dislocation these become the norm rather than the exception.

Scholars studying Nigeria’s bandit crisis increasingly argue that military strikes alone cannot resolve the problem. These strategies (which often target hideouts deep in forests) do little to deal with root causes: poverty, despair, exclusion, neglect.

Without systemic reform (strengthening local governance, boosting rural development, creating economic opportunities, restoring trust between communities and security agencies) the cycle of violence and impunity will only deepen.

Moreover, when the same state that fails to protect its citizens turns around to suppress dissent, it forfeits moral and legal legitimacy. That is precisely what has happened in the Sowore case: a government that cannot guarantee safety still seeks to wield the courts like weapons.

The Cost — to Democracy, to Citizens, to Nigeria’s Soul. The suppression of dissent is not simply a violation of individual rights; it corrodes democracy itself. As veteran Nigerian human-rights lawyer and activist Richard Akinnola once argued, a free press, a robust civil society and respect for speech and assembly are not optional extras but they are indispensable to a functioning democracy.

When governments imprison critics instead of bandits, they send a chilling message to every journalist, activist or ordinary citizen: your voice is a liability.

The consequences are not hypothetical. They are real: in countless communities, people live in fear and are afraid to demand accountability, report abuses, or protest injustice. Meanwhile, bandits kill, rape, abduct, extort but with impunity. That is the opposite of security: it is a reign of terror.

In a broader moral sense, such selective justice erodes the very foundations of citizenship. A state that punishes the powerless and legitimizes the powerful becomes no longer a protector, but a predator.

What Must Be Done: A Call to Action. The moment demands more than outrage. It demands clarity of purpose and collective resolve.

Reprioritise Security — The government must shift focus: from criminalising dissent to dismantling criminal networks. It must strengthen local policing, intelligence gathering, community-based defence and socio-economic support for vulnerable regions. Scholars warn that banditry cannot be tackled only by guns; root causes must be addressed.

Protect Civic Space — The courts should not be used as tools of repression. The charges against dissenters like Sowore must be carefully reviewed; merit and constitutional rights must guide judicial actions, not political expedience.

Institutional Reform — Governance deficits (corruption, neglect of rural infrastructure, unequal development, lack of accountability) must be confronted. Good governance demands transparency, fairness, responsiveness and respect for human dignity.

Empower Communities — Local leaders, civil-society organisations, ordinary citizens must be involved in restoring security and governance. Community policing, rural development, and empowerment of youth are part of the solution — not just militarisation.

Defend Democracy — Citizens must rise to resist any attempt to silence dissent, even more so when the state fails to secure basic rights. As Sowore’s lawyer said: “until we are all free, we are not free.”

Final Take – No More Excuses, No More Silence.
The Nigerian state today faces two concurrent crises: the collapse of security, and the erosion of civil liberties. Though these crises are not separate; they are intimately linked. A state that forfeits its responsibility to protect its citizens while punishing those who call for accountability is a state that has lost its soul.

The words of Abubakar Marshal are not hyperbole, they are a sober diagnosis: “bandits roam free while citizens face trial.” The tragedy is not only in the violence inflicted by criminals, though that devastation is real, daily and heartbreaking. The greater tragedy is in the state’s betrayal of its core mandate: to secure lives, uphold justice and preserve freedom.

If Nigeria is to heal, rebuild and redeem itself, it must start by re-committing to the dignity of every citizen and by defending freedom, delivering security and honoring the rule of law. Anything less is not governance; it is TYRANNY hidden behind the ROBES of LEGITIMACY.