Drama of PERJURY
(Mr. Mellow sits in Barr. Ojulari’s office together with a man, they are both in the middle of a hot conversation with Ojulari himself).
MR. MELLOW: This is the man I told you about. One whose house’s roof was taken away and dropped on someone else’s house by storm.
BARR. OJULARI: OK! The man that has an issue of ACT OF GOD[1], am I right? Hope the car owner is not disturbing you anymore?
THE MAN: He is still disturbing me sir. He used to verbally abuse me before, but now, he has threatened me that he will make sure that he connive with the police to charge me with the offence of murder and send me to prison.
BARR. OJULARI: Really! Was there anyone at the spot where he said so?
MR. MELLOW: Yes, there was! I was there, there were other over twenty landlords there too. Everyone was surprised.
BARR. OJULARI: Okay! No problem. Once you discover that someone is about to incriminate you with an offence, you must cry out for help, that is what you are doing here now. I like what you are doing now.
THE MAN: Please help me lawyer, I don’t have anybody. I am not as wealthy and influential as that car owner.
BARR. OJULARI: Put your mind at rest, we will teach him a lesson. What is his name?
THE MAN: His name is Oloko!
BARR. OJULARI: If he connive with the police to get you arrested wrongfully and illegally, it will cost you your freedom of movement and personal liberty, even your human dignity, we can quickly drag him to Court for your fundamental human right enforcement.
MR. MELLOW: You know that I won’t keep quiet over what I don’t know! How does ordinary threat to arrest a person amounts to fundamental right enforcement case?
BARR. OJULARI: (Smiles) Our Constitution is good! I like it. It has provided a provision for that.
MR. MELLOW: (Curiously) How?
BARR. OJULARI: It is not only the time when your right has been encroached that you have a right to sue. You can also drag a person to Court to protect yourself from human right encroachment [2].
MR. MELLOW: Oh! Okay. The Law!!! Honestly, I just understand that one can quickly institute a legal action of human right enforcement to prevent human encroachment.
THE MAN: Lawyer, please what are we going to do now sir?
BARR. OJULARI: We can quickly pray to Court to grant to you a Perpetual injunction to restrain anyone from arresting you illegally.
THE MAN: Thank you Lawyer. I will be very happy.
BARR. OJULARI: If he dares to be smart and later move on to fabricate evidence against you to make it seem like you have actually committed the crime of murder in a Court of law, that is an offence of PERJURY, he will just successfully earn himself an award of life imprisonment [3].
THE MAN: (Joyously) I am very grateful, I can now put my mind to rest.
To be Continued.
FOOTNOTES;
Perjury: the crime of telling a lie after promising to tell the truth in a court of law
Incriminate: to charge with or show evidence or proof of involvement in a crime or fault.
Encroach: to advance beyond the usual or proper limits
REFERENCES:
[1]. A.A. Abdulrauf “Language of The Law (Episode 28) https://www.facebook.com/100066506082915/posts/462572175969648/?app=fbl accessed on 8th November, 2022.
[2]. Section 46 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
[3] Section 118 of the Criminal Code Act.
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ABDULRAUF Abdullahi Adebayo, is a Law student, a Certified Teacher and a Writer. He can be reached via the following platforms;
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