Apo Six Lawyer: Nigeria Needs Citizens With Courage To Say No

Apo Six Lawyer: Nigeria Needs Citizens With Courage To Say No

Princess-Ekwi Ajide

Nigeria’s democratic troubles, according to veteran barrister Amobi Nzelu, are rooted not only in bad leadership but in the growing inability of citizens to resist inducement, question authority and demand accountability.

Nzelu, who led the legal battle for the families of the six young people killed by police in Abuja in 2005, said at a new yam festival at his home in Abuja that Nigeria’s institutions would continue to fail unless citizens found the courage to challenge wrongdoing.

The killings, popularly known as the Apo Six, triggered a judicial inquiry and a prolonged criminal trial.

Two policemen were eventually sentenced to death in 2017, while others were discharged and acquitted.

Speaking during the interview, Nzelu said his experience in the Apo Six case reinforced his belief that individuals must be prepared to stand up against powerful institutions.

“You pray to God Almighty to give you the grace to say no to evil,” he said, quoting Proverbs 1:10: “If they entice you, consent thou not.”

Nzelu argued that the scale of financial inducements in Nigeria makes resistance increasingly difficult, particularly in an economy where many citizens struggle to survive.

He was particularly critical of the judiciary, saying corruption and financial considerations had weakened public confidence in the justice system.

He, however, stressed that not every judicial officer is corrupt.

Nzelu also questioned spending by the legislature, arguing that public officials should be required to explain expenditure at a time when millions of Nigerians face economic hardship.

For him, the problem goes beyond politicians.

“The hope lies in our resolve to say no and to ask questions,” he said.

The lawyer said Nigerians should be willing to question unexplained wealth and public spending rather than accepting them as normal.

“When somebody is spending 50 times above the person’s income, Nigeria should be able to ask questions,” he said.

His argument is shaped by decades of legal practice and by the Apo Six case, in which he challenged the police account of the deaths and pursued the matter through inquiries and the courts.

Nzelu said the battle taught him that justice often requires persistence, particularly when powerful institutions are involved.

He also warned against allowing ethnic and religious divisions to distract Nigerians from common problems.

“All of us go to the same market,” he said. “Is that market for Yoruba? Is that market for Igbo?”

For the veteran lawyer, saving Nigeria’s democracy will require more than elections.

It will require citizens who are prepared to ask difficult questions, reject inducements and insist that public institutions work for the people.