By Okechukwu Nwanguma
Sometime in early February 2026, I arrived at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu. As I stepped out toward the car park, I was met with an unusual spectacle: a heavy deployment of security operatives – military, police, and civil defence – alongside traditional dance troupes performing in a celebratory welcome.
Naturally, I assumed a high-ranking government official or foreign dignitary was being received. Curious, I asked my driver who the guest of honour was. His response was both surprising and troubling: it was Musiliu Akinsanya – popularly known as MC Oluomo – who had come to inaugurate newly elected leaders of the road transport union in Enugu.
I felt a deep sense of embarrassment – not for him, but for our security institutions. That such a show of force and state-backed pageantry could be mobilised to receive a controversial non-state actor spoke volumes about the distortion of priorities and the politicisation of security in Nigeria.
That moment has stayed with me. But what has unfolded in recent days around the leadership crisis in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has only deepened that concern.
At the heart of the crisis is a fundamental question: Do court orders still matter in Nigeria?
The courts – specifically the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal – had reportedly affirmed Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa as the legitimate president of the union. These are not trivial pronouncements; they are binding judicial decisions in a constitutional democracy. Yet, when Baruwa sought to enforce these judgments, he was met not with institutional support but resistance.
According to reports, he notified the police and provided copies of the judgments. The response was, at best, lukewarm. At worst, it was obstructive.
When he eventually moved to assume office at the NURTW national secretariat in Abuja, he and his supporters were confronted by the police. The situation escalated. Arrests were made. Baruwa himself was reportedly detained and arraigned.
Shortly thereafter, MC Oluomo – whose claim to leadership is under legal dispute – was seen regaining access to the same secretariat, reportedly accompanied by security operatives, including soldiers and police officers.
Even if we accept the Nigeria Police Force’s explanation that Baruwa’s attempt to enforce the judgment lacked the presence of court sheriffs, a troubling inconsistency remains: Why was one party restrained and criminalised, while the other appeared facilitated and protected?
This is where the issue transcends a mere labour union dispute. It becomes a question of institutional integrity.
The Nigeria Police Force has a constitutional duty to act impartially, enforce the law, and uphold court orders – not selectively, not politically, and certainly not in ways that suggest alignment with powerful interests.
When the police are perceived as choosing sides in civil disputes – especially those with clear judicial pronouncements – they erode public confidence in both law enforcement and the justice system.
More dangerously, they signal that the enforcement of rights in Nigeria is contingent not on legality, but on proximity to power.
The implications are far-reaching.
First, it undermines the authority of the judiciary. A court order that cannot be enforced without fear of arrest or repression is, in effect, a hollow declaration.
Second, it emboldens impunity. If individuals or groups believe they can rely on the state security apparatus to circumvent legal outcomes, the incentive to respect the law diminishes.
Third, it increases the likelihood of violence. When lawful avenues are blocked or manipulated, aggrieved parties may resort to self-help – often with destabilising consequences.
Nigeria cannot afford this trajectory.
Security agencies must resist the temptation – whether induced by political pressure or institutional culture – to become instruments in private or partisan battles. Their legitimacy depends on neutrality. Once that is compromised, the entire system begins to wobble.
The events surrounding the NURTW crisis should serve as a wake-up call.
The leadership of the Nigeria Police Force under IGP Tunji Disu must urgently reaffirm its commitment to professionalism, impartiality, and respect for the rule of law. Clear guidelines should be enforced on how court orders are handled, and officers found to have acted in a partisan manner must be held accountable.
Equally, political actors must desist from deploying security institutions as tools of influence or intimidation. The damage such practices inflict on democratic governance is profound and enduring.
My experience in Enugu was a moment of discomfort. What is happening now is something far more serious – a pattern.
And if that pattern is allowed to persist, we risk normalising a system where power overrides law, and where those entrusted to protect justice become its greatest threat.
Nigeria deserves better.
Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma is the Executive Director of RULAAC and a human rights activist in Nigeria. #Securitynewsalert.com
