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In Nigeria it is illegal to arrest a person in the place of another person. Nobody should be arrested or punished for th...
02/09/2026

In Nigeria it is illegal to arrest a person in the place of another person. Nobody should be arrested or punished for the sins of another. It’s a breach of their fundamental rights!

Do you have locus?In law there’s something called Locus standi. your right to approach the court. Not everyone has the l...
27/08/2026

Do you have locus?

In law there’s something called Locus standi. your right to approach the court. Not everyone has the legal rights to sue. Some persons are by law disqualified from instituting an action in court.

Locus Standi is a latin legal term that means ‘the right to bring an action in court’

A legal right may have been violated but do you have the right to sue?

For a person to have locus standi, they must show that:
Their legal right has been affected, OR
They are personally affected by the issue, OR
There is a real threat to their rights (not just imagination)
See this example:
If someone trespasses on your land, you have locus standi to sue.
But if they trespass on your neighbor’s land, you generally do not have locus standi (because it doesn’t directly affect you).

Why it is important
Courts use locus standi to:
Prevent busybodies or strangers from filing unnecessary cases

Ensure that only those with a real interest in the matter approach the court

A person may have locus standi not only when their right has been violated, but also when it is:
About to be violated, or Likely to be violated
This supports preventive justice, not just reactive justice.

You can protect your rights before, during and after it has been breached.

Like share and comment if you have learnt a thing or two from this post.
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You’ve seen her everywhere — blindfolded, holding scales and a sword.She represents fairness, equality, and impartiality...
22/08/2026

You’ve seen her everywhere — blindfolded, holding scales and a sword.

She represents fairness, equality, and impartiality.
Lady of justice ideally symbolises justice devoid of influence — The same playing ground for all.

Justice shouldn't look at wealth, status, or influence

Every case is judged only on facts and evidence.

The law protects the innocent and punishes the guilty, equally.

Is Justice really blind today? Let's know your thoughts!

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse

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There’s nothing like signing a divorce paper in Nigeria ooCouples wishing to end their marriage doesn’t just wake up and...
20/08/2026

There’s nothing like signing a divorce paper in Nigeria oo
Couples wishing to end their marriage doesn’t just wake up and sign any divorce paper anyway. That’s Nigeria movie scam. No such thing like that.
Couples who wish to end their marriage must go through proper divorce proceedings, establish that the marriage has broken down irretrievably before the court can pronounce an end to the marriage.

In fact some judges would decline issuing an order of dissolution if no valid or cogent reasons are shown. Mind you, there are things a party seeking for a divorce must prove before it can be granted.

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse!

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Here’s a popular misconception about divorce in Nigeria 👇👇👇Here’s what many people don’t know..A marriage under the Marr...
19/08/2026

Here’s a popular misconception about divorce in Nigeria 👇👇👇

Here’s what many people don’t know..

A marriage under the Marriage Act does not end because the spouses separate or live apart. It ends only by a decree of divorce or by the death of one of the spouses.

That means a woman who left the matrimonial home years before her husband’s death may still be recognized as his lawful wife if there was no proper dissolution of the marriage by a competent court.

Does a woman who left her matrimonial home entitled to participate in the estate of the late husband?

No straight answer….

But If the husband died without a Will, she may still be entitled to inherit from his estate, depending on the succession law that applies.

If he left a valid Will, the distribution of his estate will generally follow the terms of that Will, subject to any applicable legal protections for dependants.

Inheritance disputes are decided by law, not by popular opinion.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Follow legal gist afrika for more legal updates.

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Let me correct this common misconception about Power of Attorney! Read this 👇👇to the end please. Recently, someone who h...
18/08/2026

Let me correct this common misconception about Power of Attorney! Read this 👇👇to the end please.

Recently, someone who had purchased a piece of land approached me to prepare a Power of Attorney for him so I asked him:

What about the Deed of Assignment?

His response was simple: I only need the Power of Attorney. Wow

I explained to him that a Power of Attorney, by itself, does not transfer the proprietary (property) interest in the land to him.

But he was convinced that the Power of Attorney was enough and honestly, this is not an isolated case.

It is a common misconception in land transactions by many ignorant individuals.

So let me explain it in simple terms.

FIRST, WHY DO PEOPLE USE BOTH?

In Nigeria, it is not unusual for parties involved in a land transaction to have both a Power of Attorney and a Deed of Assignment.

Sometimes the Power of Attorney comes first.

Sometimes both documents are prepared around the same time.

And there is a reason for this.

The two documents serve different legal purposes.

A POWER OF ATTORNEY IS ABOUT AUTHORITY. It is used in many cases especially where delegation of power is required.

A Power of Attorney essentially allows one person to authorise another to act on their behalf.

So, where a purchaser has been given a Power of Attorney in relation to property, it may give that person authority to deal with, manage, sell, develop, perfect or otherwise transact in relation to the property.

THEN WHAT DOES THE DEED OF ASSIGNMENT DO?

A Deed of Assignment is fundamentally concerned with the transfer of an interest in land from the assignor to the assignee.

So, in the typical sale of interest in land:

Power of Attorney → authority to act/deal with the property while Deed of Assignment is used to transfer the real interest in the property.

Hope you understand the difference today??
Ignorance of the law is not an excuse!

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Have you been harassed or threatened by digital lenders over a credit you know nothing about and never guaranteed?? Shar...
17/08/2026

Have you been harassed or threatened by digital lenders over a credit you know nothing about and never guaranteed?? Share your experience!

It is illegal for digital lenders to access and use a borrower’s contact list for debt recovery. This act amount to cyber bullying and this is unfortunately very common in Nigeria today!!

Such acts constitute breach of Nigeria Data Protection Act, violation of constitutional right to privacy, harassment under the Cybercrimes Act, and unfair consumer practice under Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission law.

If you didn’t borrow money from them nor guarantee/approve of any loan and they start calling you to harass or bully please quickly report them to the Police cybercrime unit or to EFCC for appropriate action against them. Meanwhile make sure you save evidence of their harassment and attach it the petition.
Never allow any kind of cyber bully. Take appropriate actions!

Ignorance of the law is no excuse!

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Here’s how the property of a person who died without a WILL is determined 👇👇👇👇What happens to your property if you die i...
16/08/2026

Here’s how the property of a person who died without a WILL is determined 👇👇👇👇

What happens to your property if you die intestate (without a valid Will) 🤷‍♀️

Letters Administration will be issued upon an application by some persons who have rights to apply…

Letters of Administration is a legal document issued by the Probate Registry of a High Court authorizing certain persons to administer the estate of a deceased person who died without leaving a valid will.

In simple terms:

When a person dies without a will, nobody automatically has the legal authority to collect the deceased’s money, sell the deceased’s property, or distribute the estate. The law therefore requires eligible persons to obtain Letters of Administration before they can lawfully manage the estate.

When Is It Used?

Letters of Administration is commonly used when:

♦️The deceased died without a will.
♦️The will exists but no executor was appointed. (An executor is someone who administers the will)
♦️The appointed executor is dead, unwilling, or incapable of acting.
♦️The deceased left assets such as bank accounts, houses, land, shares, or investments that need to be administered, that is not covered in the Will.

Who Can Apply?

Generally, persons with an interest in the estate may apply, including:

♦️The surviving spouse;
♦️ The deceased Adult children;
♦️ Deceased Parents;
♦️ Siblings; or
Other persons entitled depending on the applicable law.

This entitlement is generally considered in the order of priority beginning from the spouse of the deceased.

In all let your Will speak for you. Don’t leave anything to fate!

Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Follow legalgistafrika for more legal guidance.
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Is the Right to Life in Nigeria Absolute? Let’s analyze it!We often hear that the right to life is the most fundamental ...
15/08/2026

Is the Right to Life in Nigeria Absolute?
Let’s analyze it!

We often hear that the right to life is the most fundamental of all human rights yeah that’s correct but here’s the twist many people don’t know: under Nigerian law, it is not absolute.

Yes, the Constitution protects your life. But it also recognizes certain situations where a person can lawfully be deprived of it.

So when can someone’s life be legally taken?

👉 Ex*****on of a Death Sentence
If a court of competent jurisdiction convicts a person of a capital offence, the law permits ex*****on. So the state will kpai the person.

👉 Use of Reasonable Force
Life may be lost in situations where force is reasonably necessary and such is legally justified. Situations such as:

1. When you are reasonably defending yourself or another person.
2. When you are Protecting your property or government property against destruction
3. When the law enforcement agencies are effecting a lawful arrest or preventing escape a person caught in a crime or suspected to have committed a crime.
4. Suppressing riots or insurrection.

These are the constitutional exceptions to the right to life in Nigeria.

Now does these exceptions guarantee careless taking of another’s life? Capital NO

The determining word there is “reasonable”

The force expected to apply to these exceptions is reasonable force and this simply means that there was no intention to kpai the person even in trying to defend yourself or another. If would have been a force reasonable to have prevented a harm to you or to another person and not to kpai the attacker. This is the law not just my opinion. If the force is Excessive force then it no more legal but you are stepping into liability.

This is the law trying to strike a balance to Protect life as sacred and also allow limited exceptions for justice and public safety.

Ignorance of law is not an excuse!

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