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In early February 2026, I arrived at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu. As I walked out towards the car park, I came across an unusual sight: a massive deployment of security agents – military, police and civil defense – along with traditional dance groups performing a celebratory welcome.
Naturally, I assumed that a high-ranking government official or foreign dignitary would be received. Intrigued, I asked my driver who the guest of honor was. His response was both surprising and worrying: it was Musiliu Akinsanya – popularly known as MC Oluomo – who had come to inaugurate the 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. The fact that such a show of strength and state-backed pageantry could be mobilized to accommodate a controversial non-state actor speaks volumes about the distortion of priorities and politicization of security in Nigeria.
That moment stayed with me. But what has happened in recent days around the leadership crisis in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has only deepened this concern.
At the heart of the crisis is a fundamental question: do court orders still matter in Nigeria?
The courts – notably the National Industrial Tribunal and the Court of Appeal – reportedly affirmed Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa as the legitimate president of the union. These are not trivial statements; they are binding judicial decisions in a constitutional democracy. However, when Baruwa attempted to enforce these rulings, he was met not with institutional support, but with resistance.
He reportedly informed the police and provided copies of the sentences. The response was lukewarm at best. At worst, it was obstructive.
When he eventually moved to take up the post at the NURTW national secretariat in Abuja, he and his supporters were confronted by the police. The situation has degenerated. Arrests have been made. Baruwa himself was reportedly arrested and arraigned.
Shortly afterwards, MC Oluomo – whose claim to the leadership is the subject of 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 Nigerian police force’s explanation that Baruwa’s attempt to enforce the sentence failed without the presence of the court sheriffs, a worrying inconsistency remains: why was one party detained and criminalized, while the other seemed facilitated and protected?
This is where the issue transcends a mere industrial dispute. It becomes a question of institutional integrity.
Nigeria’s police force has a constitutional duty to act impartially, enforce the law and comply with court orders – not selectively, not politically and certainly not in ways that suggest alignment with powerful interests.
When police are perceived as choosing sides in civil disputes – especially those with clear court declarations – it erodes public trust in both law enforcement and the justice system.
Even more dangerously, they signal that respect for rights in Nigeria does not depend on the rule of law, 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, an empty statement.
Second, it encourages impunity. If individuals or groups believe they can rely on the state security apparatus to circumvent legal outcomes, the incentive to comply with the law diminishes.
Third, it increases the likelihood of violence. When legal avenues are blocked or manipulated, aggrieved parties may resort to self-help, often with destabilizing consequences.
Nigeria cannot afford this trajectory.
Security agencies must resist the temptation – induced by political pressure or institutional culture – to become instruments in private or partisan battles. Their legitimacy depends on neutrality. Once compromised, the entire system begins to falter.
The events surrounding the NURTW crisis should serve as a wake-up call.
The leadership of the Nigerian 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 who acted in a partisan manner held accountable.
Likewise, political actors must refrain from using security institutions as tools of influence or intimidation. The damage such practices do to democratic governance is profound and long-lasting.
My experience in Enugu was a disheartening one. What is happening now is something much more serious: a pattern.
And if this model is allowed to persist, we risk normalizing a system in which power trumps law and in which those charged with protecting justice become the greatest threat.
Nigeria deserves better.
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