“Nigeria Is a Crime Scene”: Prof. Mike Ozekhome Calls for Moral Reckoning, Sovereign National Dialogue at Landmark Ibadan Lecture
–Njenje Media TV
Ibadan, Nigeria — In a blistering and deeply philosophical keynote lecture delivered at the University of Ibadan on June 27, 2025, eminent constitutional lawyer and human rights defender, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, CON, OFR, declared Nigeria a nation in moral, constitutional, and socio-political crisis, warning that the country faces imminent collapse unless urgent and bold reforms are undertaken.
The public lecture, titled “Nigeria: From Where Comes Our Help?”, drew a full house of academics, civil society actors, students, traditional leaders, and media professionals. Speaking for nearly two hours, Ozekhome weaved history, law, scripture, and policy together to diagnose Nigeria’s multifaceted dysfunctions, while proposing a radical blueprint for national rebirth.
A Nation with Riches but No Wealth, Laws but No Justice
“Nigeria is richly endowed,” Prof. Ozekhome began, “but it is scandalously poor—not for want of resources, but for want of vision, justice, and moral courage.”
He noted that despite being Africa’s largest economy and blessed with natural and human capital, Nigeria remains the global capital of multidimensional poverty, with over 133 million citizens lacking access to basic health, education, clean water, and livelihood.
He cited the 2023 elections as a nadir in the country’s democratic trajectory, marred by electoral malpractices, judicial compromise, voter suppression, and violence. He described the country as suffering not just from a leadership deficit but from an existential crisis in state legitimacy.
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Budget Padding and the Institutionalization of Corruption
Ozekhome referred to the N6.93 trillion worth of questionable insertions in the 2025 Federal Budget, including:
•₦393 billion for 1,477 streetlights (₦266 million per unit),
•₦114 billion for 538 boreholes (₦212.88 million per borehole),
•₦505 billion for over 1,000 ICT projects, and
•₦117 billion for 24 security vehicles, averaging ₦487 million each.
Citing independent watchdog BudgIT, he said the budget reeked of “elite conspiracy and fiscal madness.” These insertions, he argued, are symbolic of a political class that governs by plunder, enabled by weak institutions and a disengaged populace.
The lecture took an explosive turn when Ozekhome referenced the Senate’s recent audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which uncovered ₦210 trillion in irregularities between 2017 and 2023—including ₦103 trillion in accrued expenses and ₦107 trillion in unaccounted receivables.
“Between 2017 and 2023,” he said, “Nigeria’s total federal budget was ₦88 trillion. That means our stolen or missing funds outstrip our total national spending—this is not just corruption, this is economic terrorism.”
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The 1999 Constitution: A Military Decree, Not a People’s Document
One of the core arguments of the lecture centered on the 1999 Constitution. Ozekhome labeled it “a fraud foisted upon the Nigerian people by the military junta of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.” He called it a decree dressed in civilian garb, and unfit for the complexity and diversity of modern Nigeria.
He advocated the immediate convening of a Sovereign National Dialogue to birth a new, people-driven constitution, one that reflects genuine federalism, decentralization, equity, and inclusiveness.
“The phrase ‘We the people’ is a lie,” he said. “We never made this constitution. It was handed down like a will. And we cannot build a just house on a fraudulent foundation.”
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State Policing, Resource Control, and the Federal Question
Ozekhome strongly supported HB 617, the bill to create state police, currently under review in the National Assembly. Citing the recent massacre in Benue’s Yelweta community, where over 200 people were killed, he called for community policing, devolution of security powers, and resource control as the only sustainable pathways to stability.
“Insecurity has spread like a cancer,” he lamented. “We must move from federalized failure to decentralized responsibility.”
A Nation Failing Its Youth, Choking Its Diaspora
Touching on youth disillusionment and the mass migration trend known as “Japa”, Ozekhome described how thousands of young professionals—doctors, engineers, teachers—are fleeing Nigeria in droves, in search of dignity and security.
He emphasized that the Nigerian diaspora remitted over $20 billion in 2023, often outpacing oil in foreign exchange contribution, yet remains disenfranchised, with no voting rights and little structural role in national development.
He called for diaspora voting rights, diaspora investment incentives, and a National Youth Innovation Fund (NYIF) governed by young people to foster enterprise and civic tech across the country.
Religious but Not Righteous: The Ethical Collapse of Nigeria
While acknowledging Nigeria’s deep religiosity—with over 98% identifying as religious—Ozekhome questioned the moral bankruptcy at every level of society.
“We pray in churches, fast in mosques, yet steal in public office and cheat in exam halls,” he said. “Religion in Nigeria has become a costume, not a compass.”
He criticized some faith leaders for enabling corrupt leaders and promoting prosperity gospel over moral responsibility. “God is not mocked,” he said. “He blesses the works of our hands, not our laziness or complicity.”
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Proposed Ten-Point Rescue Plan
Prof. Ozekhome presented a detailed Ten-Point Rescue Blueprint for national transformation:
1.Convene a Sovereign National Conference to produce a new, autochthonous constitution.
2.Institutionalize State Police through HB 617 and federal coordination.
3.Mandate Ethical Vetting of political officeholders.
4.Launch National Reindustrialization Plan to rebuild manufacturing and diversify exports.
5.Roll Out National Civic & Moral Education from primary school upwards.
6.Integrate Diaspora in Governance, including voting and constitutional inclusion.
7.Create Independent Electoral Tribunal System (IETS) and restructure INEC.
8.Legislate National Youth Innovation Fund (NYIF) for digital, green and agritech.
9.Revise Fiscal Federalism & Resource Derivation to reflect fairness.
10.Institutionalize Civic Movements such as #EndSARS, BudgIT, and EiE in governance oversight.
Conclusion: Help Will Not Come From Abroad or Above — It Must Rise From Within
Quoting Psalm 121 — “I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help?” — Ozekhome issued a rousing call for civic courage, moral clarity, and transformative leadership.
“Our help will not come from America, the IMF, or oil windfalls,” he declared. “It must come from our courts, our classrooms, our ballot boxes, and our streets.”
He ended with a prophetic warning and a hopeful vision: “No messiah is coming. No saviour is waiting in the wings. Nigeria must now choose between rot and rebirth. This is our moment, and we must not miss it.”
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