Hunter Biden’s Conviction and Lessons for Nigeria
The criminal prosecution of Hunter Biden, son of the President of the United States of America, Mr. Joe Biden, and his conviction last week, was perhaps another lesson for Nigeria to strengthen her institutions and make them independent for the country to move forward.
Hunter was guilty of federal gun charges in a historic first criminal prosecution of the child of a sitting US president and likely to be sentenced to over 20 years imprisonment.
The 54-year-old was accused of lying about his illegal drug use when he bought a handgun in 2018, and convicted on all three of the counts facing him
The verdict not only came when his father was seeking reelection, but was held in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
It also came less than two weeks after the conviction on business fraud charges of former President Donald Trump, who is Republican presidential nominee in the November election.
The First Lady, Jill Biden, Hunter’s mother, attended several days of the trial.
The proceedings, along with another case in which Hunter Biden faces tax evasion charges in California, have complicated Democrats’ efforts to keep the election focus on Trump, the first former president ever to be convicted of a crime.
The Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist was charged with falsely stating when buying a 38-calibre revolver in 2018 that he was not using drugs illegally. He was also charged with illegal possession of the firearm, which he had for just 11 days in October of that year.
He had also been severally investigated on allegations of corruption and influence-peddling.
While the White House has said there would be no presidential pardon for Hunter, all Biden could say in an earlier statement was: “As the President, I don’t and won’t comment on pending federal cases, but as a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength.”
This, indeed, is what makes America very unique and a great country. Nobody is above the law.
Many believe that this will never happen in Nigeria. where big men are above the law, Not even a governor, senator or billionaire’s son will ever be subjected to this let alone the son of the president.
The same crime for which Hunter Biden was convicted in the US is very common in Nigeria but where are the security agencies and the courts that will bell the cat? The agencies are in the pockets of those at the top. Little wonder why things are not working in the country.
