My spirit has been deeply troubled, especially following the Supreme Courtâs judgment on Sunday, the farmer from Adamawa State. Reflecting on the past, I have realized that some of Nigeriaâs greatest problems have been caused by the judiciary.
To be honest, it is best to assume that the judiciary is merely an extension of the executive, lacking bold judges, magistrates, and justices. When the annulment of June 12 happened, Justice Banga made excuses, but the real damage was done by the hand of justice that stopped the announcement of election results. Millions of Nigerians had gone out to vote, and significant resources had been spent. It was not the courtâs place to prevent the expression of the peopleâs will when no wrongdoing had been proven.
The judiciary has been used as a tool of suppression for years. During the PDP era, courts seemed like the personal chambers of party leaders. After committing electoral malpractices, they would confidently tell opponents to âgo to court,â knowing the courts were compromised. It became as predictable as visiting a harlotâalways open, always available.
There was a time when Nigerian judges were respectedâpeople like Justice Oputa delivered judgments that were poetic, philosophical, and deeply rooted in legal reasoning. But today, the courts have become a playground of contradictory rulings. Courts of coordinate jurisdiction issue opposing judgments, and one can obtain any ruling to suit their desires. If you want a judgment declaring that Dr. Apoki is a woman or a traditional medical doctor, you can get it in Nigeria.
When Buhari invaded judgesâ homes, I was initially angered. However, in hindsight, he must have seen the level of decay within the system. While he overstepped his boundaries, the corruption, insensitivity, and impunity in the judiciary today are beyond comprehension. Dele Farotimi has been one of the few voices speaking truth to power about this rot.
The decay is not just in the courtsâit starts from the investigative process with the police. Statements are forcibly extracted, people sign documents they have never read, and innocent people are locked up for defamation. Take the case of journalist Eile, who has been in detention for so long. The police officer who colluded in locking him up was later exposed as a criminal and dismissed from the force, yet Eile remains in detention. The police and courts are now being used as tools of intimidation.
Senior lawyer Olisa Agbakoba, my senior at Government College Ughelli, recently voiced the same concerns. When asked about his prediction for a certain judgment, he acknowledged that the facts were clear, but in todayâs Nigeria, anything can happen. The situation has become so dire that people now debate whether Supreme Court judgments should be reviewed by another body.
Consider some of the judicial absurdities we have witnessed:
A candidate who did not contest senatorial primaries, lost in the presidential election, and was still declared a senator.
The controversial case in Abuja where 25% of votes were required but ignored.
The shocking ruling in Imo State, where a candidate who placed fourth suddenly became first.
If the Nigerian judiciary were to sit in judgment in heaven, hell would be empty. No rich or powerful man would be found guilty.
No part of the country is innocentâcorruption permeates all regions. The chaos in Rivers State is largely due to judicial irresponsibility. Nigeria must demand the rule of law and true justice. Our people in the diaspora must not remain silent. Raise your voices! Report these injustices to international bodies so that compromised judges and security officials can be denied visas and face accountability. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has prosecuted individuals from Rwanda who were not even presidentsâwhy should Nigeria be different?
Letâs not confine Nigeriaâs injustice and criminality within our dark borders. Letâs expose it to the world.
God bless you.
