By Chidi Okoye
Foreword by Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN
In a world the place authorized literacy is each scarce and vital, Checkmate: Tales Revolving Across the Felony Legal guidelines of Lagos State by SP Chidi Okoye emerges as a well timed and invaluable contribution to the pursuit of justice and public enlightenment.
By way of the lens of the sensible and perceptive DSP Sketch Dikko, the writer unveils the usually misunderstood and neglected nuances of Lagos State’s felony legal guidelines. In doing so, he bridges the hole between authorized technicality and public understanding by translating advanced statutes into relatable, participating, and thought-provoking narratives. With over 400 felony legal guidelines in existence, ignorance is now not an excuse, and this e-book gives a compelling antidote to that ignorance.
Every of the thirty tales inside this quantity is a masterclass in authorized storytelling, fictional in design, but solidly rooted within the letter and spirit of the legislation. From problems with felony duty and psychological well being to up to date challenges like cybercrime, mob justice, and police accountability, the tales resonate deeply with real-life experiences in trendy Lagos.
As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and one deeply dedicated to the reform and development of Nigeria’s authorized system, I’m completely impressed by the writer’s capacity to teach, entertain, and provoke important pondering all of sudden. SP Chidi Okoye has not solely demonstrated a sound understanding of the legislation but additionally proven nice innovation in authorized training by selecting this inventive and accessible format.
I like to recommend Checkmate to authorized practitioners, legislation college students, legislation enforcement officers, and certainly, each resident of Lagos State and past. It’s a uncommon mix of legislation and literature, a resourceful instrument for consciousness, justice, and social reawakening.
Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN Famend Authorized Practitioner
Council Member, Abia State College Former 2nd Vice President, Nigerian Bar Affiliation.
COSPEAKS
My identify is Chidi Okoye, however my mates name me CO for brief. For six years, I labored with the Judiciary as lead Prosecutor in Tinubu Justice of the Peace court docket. Afterwards, I moved again to investigation, the place I work until date. Presently, I’m the deputy sectional head of Zonal Enquiry Bureau.
In my seventeen years of investigation and prosecution, one factor stays relentlessly apparent: the truth that most residents of Nigeria have no idea the legal guidelines guiding the land, and that are extremely lively, ready to go off when somebody violates them.
We have now near 420 Felony Legal guidelines governing Lagos State, greater than 500 Felony Legal guidelines governing the complete South and practically 200 Felony Legal guidelines governing the complete north. And but, most of us solely battle to maintain the few ones we all know, thus exposing ourselves to the dangers of the tough punishments connected to those offences.
A nonchalant perspective in the direction of these legal guidelines is like strolling carelessly in a mine subject together with your eyes closed. Keep in mind, ignorance of the legislation shouldn’t be an excuse or an affordable protection, so sensitize your self with these legal guidelines.
Mrs. Falade was a widely known girl within the society, each by way of liquid money and connection in excessive locations.
She had this house-help, named Sade, who lived along with her, and was on a month-to-month wage of forty thousand naira. Sadly, she had somewhat misunderstanding with Sade, which aggravated to her locking Sade up in one in every of her guests’ rooms. Detailing the opposite maids to take meals to her after two days, she determined to go to a close-by police station and invite the Police to take over the matter.
Attending to the station, she reported a case of breach of contract towards Sade. She complained that when she employed Sade as a assist, she agreed to comply with her to her church. However a couple of months again, Sade began registering her displeasure in following her to church, till two weeks in the past when she stopped going to Mrs. Falade’s church and insisted on going to worship in a close-by mosque.
This provoked her boss, who claimed she needed to carry Boko Haram into her peaceable dwelling. And this led to her locking Sade up in one in every of her visitor rooms.
She acknowledged all these complaints in her assertion, believing she was constructing a watertight case towards Sade, not realizing she was digging her personal grave.
The Investigating Police Officer ready a search warrant and adopted her to her home. But it surely quickly dawned on her that her motion had turned her into the dangerous man in her personal film script.
She was charged for violating Sade’s elementary rights — her proper to liberty, her proper to freedom of faith and her proper to human dignity.
Mrs. Falade was shocked when the IPO turned and handcuffed her.
You can too fall sufferer in an identical state of affairs. That’s the reason we have to know these legal guidelines, which might simply take away our freedom, as none of them is a respecter of individuals, besides a serving Governor, Deputy Governor, the President and the Vice President.
Figuring out these legal guidelines is crucial. Not realizing them is like having an electrical equipment and never studying the handbook to know its most capabilities.
These legal guidelines are made to guard us and preserve order in our society. So, being unaware of them will assist criminals stroll free, after committing an offence and even violating our rights with out our data.
COSPEAKS is an idea that may assist you be taught these legal guidelines with ease, as a result of the idea has created a narrative round every part of the felony legal guidelines, thus making your studying thrilling and entertaining. As a lot as these tales are laced with the components of the sections of the legislation, it is very important be aware that they’re merely works of fiction; the characters within the tales don’t exist; they’re mere figments of my creativeness.
So, sit again, chill out, and revel in every second because it enriches you with the Legal guidelines that revolve round you. Hearken to COSPEAKS and keep away from letting the legal guidelines take you abruptly. Emancipate your self from psychological slavery, which has restricted you and uncovered you to criminals who make the most of your ignorance or some legislation enforcement company that consciously or unconsciously misrepresents the legal guidelines.
The Ebook of the Legal guidelines of Lagos State Half 1: Common Provision
Chapter 1:
Offence, Function, Guiding Precept and Scope of Utility
Part 1. Definition of Offences
My identify is Sketch Dikko. I’m a Deputy Superintendent of Police. I had simply been deployed to a brand new outfit within the Police investigation area known as G7.
We reported on to the PA of the Assistant Inspector Common of Police, Power Felony Investigation Division, Annex Lagos.
As a lot as my data within the Power have been remarkably excellent, I used to be in a position to be a part of the crew as a result of I used to be ‘redeployed to exchange an officer, one DSP. Igbinoba Solomon, who I used to be instructed was concerned in some court docket case that compelled the AIG’s palms to question him and switch him out of the Command.
From what I heard, he used to work in SARS, however was redeployed to G7, after SARS was disbanded. He was among the finest subject brokers, as he had a observe report of high-profile instances which he investigated and charged to court docket.
Regardless of placing a number of high-profiled criminals behind bars, and attracting quite a few awards to the Police Power, only one single mistaken flip took all that glory away. Consequently, he was taken off the shelf like some ragdoll.
His drawback began when he moved into his condo at Obalende. There, he started an affair with Tawa, the landlady’s first daughter.
Tall, mild in complexion, and in her late twenties, Tawa virtually performed the position of a spouse, as a result of she moved into his condo, cooking for him and doing all his home chores. Solomon returned the favour in monetary phrases, together with paying Tawa’s siblings’ faculty charges.
Tawa’s dad was late, and the mother didn’t have any technique of revenue besides the yearly home hire that got here from three flats out of 4, as a result of they have been occupying one condo.
The N15 million hire was not sufficient to pay the payments, as they have been just about feeding from hand to mouth. Nonetheless, when Solomon got here into their life, a number of issues modified for good. He even went so far as opening a store for Alhaja Sidi, Tawa’s mother.
Now, Solomon was married with three youngsters, however his spouse and youngsters have been in America.
TOMORROW… the writer will talk about the aim of the Felony Legal guidelines of Lagos State.
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