“They Covet Fields and Houses … and Seize Them”: Interpreting Micah 2:2 in Light of Economic Deprivation for Holding on to Power in Nigeria

Abstract

Micah 2:2 condemns the injustice of land grabbing in eighth-century Israel. Contrary to the traditional perception that each clan’s land belonged to it as a permanent inheritance, by the eighth century BCE land had become a commodity that could be bought and sold, or even seized. The article examines Micah 2:2 in the context of public elections in Nigeria where, having been pauperised by the ruling class, the electorate yield themselves to politicians who exploit them to keep themselves in power. Employing the historical-critical and descriptive methods, the article concludes that the Micah passage speaks to the Nigerian context in the sense that just as the economic exploitation of the peasant farmers violated the theocratic order, in Nigeria this attitude is inimical to democratic rule and the good of the people.