Justice Must Be Based on Facts, Not Emotions

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By Editorial Team

Nigerians are naturally passionate about justice. They hate oppression and are quick to defend anyone they believe is being treated unfairly. This passion is one of the nation’s strongest values.

But lately, it has also become a problem. Many Nigerians now judge cases emotionally instead of waiting for facts or investigation.

The belief that those in power must always be wrong. Nigerians have suffered years of poor governance, so there is deep mistrust of politicians and the elite. Whenever an issue arises between a rich person, celebrity, or politician and an ordinary citizen, public opinion almost always takes sides with the poor. Nigerians quickly assume the rich or influential person must be guilty, even before evidence is presented. Once that conclusion is formed, it is almost impossible to change, no matter what the facts later reveal.

Being rich or popular does not mean one cannot be a victim, and being poor does not mean one cannot be guilty. Justice should never depend on emotions or social class but on verified truth.

In today’s social media age, judgment often happens online long before the courts get involved. Within minutes of any allegation, hashtags trend, Videos are edited and shared to fit certain narratives, and opinions are formed. People are condemned without evidence, and reputations are destroyed even before the truth is known.

The case of the late singer Mohbad is one of the clearest examples. When news of his death broke, Nigerians flooded social media with accusations and theories. Within hours, people were named, judged, and declared guilty without any investigation. Even though the police launched an inquiry, many Nigerians had already decided who to blame. In the end, what should have been a solemn search for truth turned into a social media mob trial.

Another example is when some public officials or celebrities are accused of wrongdoing. The moment a story breaks, social media users jump into conclusions without asking questions. Some of those accused later turn out innocent, but by then, their names have already been damaged. The public rarely apologizes or corrects the wrong impression.

This culture of emotional judgment has now replaced fairness with sentiment. It is dangerous because it destroys reputations, discourages truth, and weakens trust in institutions that are meant to uphold justice. The court of public opinion has become louder than the court of law.

When emotions control justice, people stop caring about facts. Someone accused today may be proven innocent tomorrow, but Nigerians will still treat that person as guilty. This has happened in several cases where accusations were later found to be false, but the victims still carry the stigma.

Justice should not depend on sympathy or popularity. It should depend on evidence. Nigerians must learn that siding with the poor automatically does not always mean siding with the truth.

Consider a situation where a wealthy businessman has a conflict with a worker. Nigerians often assume the employer is exploiting the worker even before knowing what really happened. But sometimes the employee may have been dishonest or untruthful. In such cases, rushing to conclusions only deepens injustice.

In criminal cases too, many Nigerians believe that anyone arrested by the police is automatically innocent if they are poor or ordinary, and guilty if they are rich or powerful. But fairness demands that we listen to both sides and verify facts before taking a stand.

Social media has made this even worse. Influencers, bloggers, and content creators now jump on sensitive issues to gain traffic and engagement. They make unverified claims, twist stories, and stir emotions to attract views and sympathy. In the process, they mislead the public and destroy lives. Some of these online voices do not care about justice; they care about trending.

The result is a society where truth no longer matters. Even when facts are later released, people ignore them because the emotional version of the story is already more popular. This attitude does not help the victims, the accused, or the justice system. It only breeds chaos and mistrust.

True justice demands patience and fairness. It requires investigation, evidence, and objectivity. Nigeria already has serious challenges like insecurity, corruption, poverty and adding emotional justice to the list makes things worse. When people lose faith in proper justice and rely on social media judgment, society begins to crumble.

There is nothing wrong with showing compassion for the underprivileged or demanding fairness for victims. But compassion must never replace reason. Nigerians must separate emotions from facts. It is possible to care deeply and still think critically.

Justice cannot thrive in a country where people prefer gossip over truth. It cannot exist where people judge before hearing both sides. It cannot work when people believe social media is the final court.

The media also has a crucial role to play. News platforms must verify stories before publishing, not rush to break unconfirmed reports. Responsible journalism is not about who publishes first, but who tells the truth best. Every reporter, editor, and commentator must know that words can destroy lives and shape public opinion wrongly.

The government should strengthen civic education to help Nigerians understand how justice works. People must learn to ask questions, verify sources, and avoid mob judgment. Schools, religious leaders, and community influencers must all teach fairness as a national value.

Nigerians must learn to wait for the truth. It is not enough to feel sorry for someone; we must also be fair to everyone. The same emotion that fuels compassion can easily lead to injustice if it blinds us.

In the end, justice is not about who shouts the loudest or who has more followers. It is about truth, evidence, and fairness. If Nigerians truly want a just society, they must stop judging by emotions and start standing by facts.