This popular saying basically means it's never the first person who alerts the authorities about a perceived injustice or brings the case to court, that wins the case.
The ideal system would require that, whenever an allegation is made, a proper investigation be conducted to uncover the truth and who really is to blame. There are several instances where a person who reports first tries to muddy the waters or garner sympathy in the process. Even though it might look like he/she has suffered a level of injustice, further investigation will reveal who really is at fault.
The defaulter
Say for instance Mike has been defaulting on his loan repayment for months and Dennis comes over to his home and insists on holding on to Mike’s phone until he pays back what he owes. Mike then goes on to make allegations that Dennis took his phone, making it impossible for him to earn a living or contact prospective business clients, while cleverly leaving out the fact that he is defaulting on his loan payment. It makes sense to assume that people will take Mike's side. Why would anyone deprive a young man of his means of communication and livelihood? The truth will only come to light when due diligence is performed. While Dennis might be reprimanded in an ideal court for taking the phone, there is virtually no chance of Mike winning this case, despite the fact that he was the first to raise concerns about a perceived injustice. A case of "No be who first call police dey win case."
One who cries wolf
There are also cases where grievances are actually false allegations. Sometimes the person is able to sway people's minds at first when the issue is brought before the court of public opinion. Only after further investigations are carried out and more truths are revealed will we learn the person was just crying wolf. We have witnessed several accusations made on social media: some true, some false. We have come to witness people make accusations only to find out that it didn’t take place as described as soon as the accused party comes with “receipts”. In the end, it just seems like someone was trying to create a stir, or “gain clout” as it is now called.
With issues like this occurring on a regular basis, it becomes imperative that a proper investigation is carried out and perhaps ensure both parties have their day in court so that the true state of things can be revealed. If there’s one thing we love about Justice Olushola and her prosecutor, Ebuka, it is how meticulous they both are when it comes to cases brought before the court. It is also how attentive they are to the smallest details when both the claimant and the defendants present their cases.
Check out the case of a claimant who dragged the defendant to court for selling his laptop. Turns out he was in arrears and he insisted the laptop’s value was way more than the amount he owed. In this instance, it was a clear case of “No be who first call police dey win case”.
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