Nigerians are obsessed with the concept of clemency that people are willing to forgive a crime before it is even committed. It is the kind of mercy wrapped in fear and ignorance. The only time cruelty shines on our faces like petroleum jelly is when we are certain, by far, that the other person is "smaller"- we know when we look at their car or their shoes and sometimes their dentition (yes, yes); then we wage war and gather an invisible crowd to watch us unleash our wrath on people who are already prostrating, begging for leniency. But the minute we are certain, by far, that the other person has some form of clout, we practise our very subjective religion that shows love and understanding only reserved for occasions when it seems you cannot win a battle.
And because this is a hand-to-mouth society it is always hard to convince anyone that anything is worth fighting for. The stomach has to be full, and when you achieve fullness; you have to think of tomorrow, and the cycle continues, and our fears multiply, our strength dissipates.
Then you realize, there is nothing like a full stomach when everything else around you is barren.