A cross-section of Nigerians have expressed outrage by the recent position of top public officers, who have flagrantly disregarded judicial decisions that had censured them for contempt.
The stakeholders point out that Constitutional democracy functions better under the atmosphere of rule of law and obedience to and respect for court orders, but said the impunity of top government officials in recent times has called to question the fidelity of the current administration to the rule of law.
This disregard for court orders, to many observers, is not new in the life of the current administration; but of recent, this has assumed a life of its own.
The Police are in the front rank of errant institutions, who savour the pleasure of total disregard for court orders. Only last month the Federal High Court, Abuja sentenced the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.
Recall that Justice M. O. Olajuwon last month ruled that the IGP has disobeyed a court order made on October 21, 2011, and should, therefore, be detained in custody for a period of three months, or until Baba obeys the order. The court also stated that if the IGP refuses to comply with the orders of the court at the end of the three months, he shall be committed for another period until he purges his contempt.
According to a political scientist, Professor Adeagbo Moritiwon, “The above-the-law mentality is the bane of those at the top of our security architecture, they see themselves as demi-gods, and they have been getting away with it”. He said that the trend will continue as long as the security forces, who, mainly unelected, continue to share powers with elected officials.
Also recall that on December 1, 2022, a Federal High Court sitting in Minna, the Niger State capital, ordered that the Chief of Army Staff, General Farouk Yahaya, be arrested for contempt of court. Similarly, the judge issued that the Commandant Training and Doctrine Command, Minna, Major-General Olugbenga Olabanji, be arrested and imprisoned for a similar offense.
For several days three weeks ago, headlines of dailies were dominated by the arrest of one Mohammed, a student of Federal University Dutse for a his twitter post, where he criticized A’isha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari. It was only when the whole social and mainstream media went wild in condemning the action that the First Lady instructed the police to let the young man go.
Unless those who feel they are above the law are compelled to respect the same, many analysts spoken to say the nation’s democracy may be in peril.
