Justice Lifu on rampage? Insecurity and the search for spirit of ECOMOG

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary, the National Assembly and the security agencies are all on the radar at the moment. The thinking of many Nigerians is that these institutions must be constantly “torch-lighted” ahead of the 2027 election.

The reactive strategy of the nation’s security agencies to the wave of bandits/terrorists’ attack across the country falls far below expectation. Nigerians need the ECOMOG fire of yesteryear.

Lifu on rampage?

Nigerians were alarmed Monday when the news broke that a Federal High Court judge in Abuja had ordered the INEC to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (A) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for their alleged failure to meet requirements for existence.

The anger and condemnation that greeted the action of Justice Peter Lifu, the judge that gave the judgement, were palpable.

Although he claimed to have acted in accordance with the provision of the Constitution, many believe the timing was inauspicious.

Not only that the affected parties, mainly, the ADC, read political meaning into the development, describing same as the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob, they said that such judgement would not stand. The ADC pointedly said that Lifu was playing with fire.

Before the Court of Appeal on Tuesday stepped in to restore sanity, Lifu had been literally dragged to the stake by angry Nigerians. In fact, the Appeal Court’s intervention also worsened his (Lifu)’s misery.

Not only that Nigerians hailed the suspension of the execution of the deregistration order, they lacerated the integrity of Lifu, and question his continued relevance on his job.

The three-member panel led by Justice A.B. Mohammed, in their unanimous decision tongue-lashed Lifu, saying that the trial judge acted in defiance of its May 22 order, describing the action as a violation of the judicial hierarchy and constitutional order.

They held that proceeding to judgement despite a subsisting appellate directive amounted to “the highest form of judicial impertinence” and undermined the authority of superior courts. What a shame!

A group that called itself National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) had instituted a suit, arguing that the parties failed to meet the electoral performance thresholds prescribed under Section 225A of the Constitution.

The group did not say how the parties’ presence on the INEC’s register injures them; what injustice they suffer, or what damages they incur.

The Appeal Court ruling restored the status quo pending the determination of the substantive appeal, ensuring that the ADC and the other affected parties remain legally recognised for now.

Read also: Court order to deregister ADC, Accord, 3 others deals blow to opposition

The INEC told the court it was surprised that Justice Lifu went ahead to deliver the judgement, revealing that the commission only became aware of the ruling through media reports and not through any official communication from the court.

“We were not aware of any notice from the court regarding the delivery of the judgment. We only saw it as breaking news in the media. We therefore, do not oppose the application of the appellant to stay the execution of the judgement,” he said.

The height of disobedience by lower courts as exhibited by the Federal High Court in Abuja is one of many such unfortunate cases going on across the country.

Liborous Oshoma, a legal practitioner, said that what Justice Lifu did was not just the height of rascality, “it is an outrageous display of irresponsibility by a judge.”

While the dust was not yet settled on his order to deregister ADC and four other parties, the same Justice Lifu on Tuesday slammed a N1million cost on the ADC and its National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, for seeking his recusal from a suit challenging the legitimacy of the party’s current leadership.

The rabid manner these judgements and fines are being slammed convey a message that the judge had a personal axe to grind with the ADC or the enemies of the party had engaged him to sink the party.

Many Nigerians have expressed concern that the nation’s judiciary appears to have been bought over to do hatchet jobs. They have expressed fears that such frivolous judgement as delivered by Lifu may just be setting a stage for more bizarre judgements as the country trudges towards the poll next year.

The rampaging judge must be punished by the relevant professional and regulatory bodies; except they are sleeping on guard.

Wanted: The spirit of ECOMOG!

Many Nigerians today remember with nostalgia when the nation’s soldiers fought in several West African countries under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). The soldiers, in each of their interventions, displayed high level of professionalism, discipline, gallantry, and won the admiration of the world.

They fought in Liberia (1990–1999) where Nigeria provided the bulk of the troops, funding, and equipment during the multi-nation mission to end the brutal Liberian civil war.

They were in Sierra Leone (1995–2000) where they formed the vast majority of the ECOMOG troops deployed to restore the elected government and fight the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels.

It is also on record that Nigerian troops were in Guinea-Bissau (1998–1999) during a military rebellion to enforce a ceasefire. They stabilised the nation.

Today, that same Army that won the heart of the world is being derided for being unable to flush out criminal elements that have made a mockery of whatever Nigeria stood for.

At that time, the soldiers fought with patriotic zeal. We were not as timid as we seem today to the point that it would seem the country is at the mercy of non-state actors. What has happened to us?

Rather than put the enemies to rout, the Nigerian government is today begging the same terrorists to drop their arms, as if it is possible for a blood-sucking vampire to abstain from bloodmeal and become a vegetarian?

While Katsina is selling the story that it is intolerant of terrorism and its promoters, it is at the same time providing a comfortable habitation for the terrorists. In the name of de-radicalisation, the state at a single event, inducted over 600 killers into the league of “harmless citizens” all in the name of repentant terrorists.

These killers, who had left many homes desolate, were given all sorts of items in an attempt to dissuade them from going back to their own vomit. This method has repeatedly failed to arrest the situation. If it had worked as some people claim, why is it that we are having such a growing number of them? Has everybody in parts of the North become a terrorist?

It beats many hollow that dangerous elements are being reintroduced (with pomp and ceremony) into the same society they abhor and hate.

Such bizarre advertisement is an abuse on the sensibility of families whose fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and other relatives have been killed and butchered in the forest, or those who have sold off everything they had to pay ransom for their kidnapped relations.

Read also: ECOWAS unveils strategy to transform West Africa’s vast energy resources into reliable power supply

Has the government run out of ideas on how to rein in this monster? There seems to be no political will to end the banditry and terrorism challenge besetting the country.

The signal is there for all to see. Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (Rtd), was reported to have advised Nigerians to “live with terrorists,” but he recently clarified that what he said was that defeating insecurity was difficult because terrorists and bandits were surviving inside local communities, supported and shielded by local collaborators, informants, and financiers.

The other day, his counterpart, the minister of state, Bello Matawalle, reportedly said only God can solve the nation’s insecurity problem.

If these two men, who are saddled with the task of securing the country, could be openly throwing their hands in the air, it simply means that they are telling Nigerians that they have come to their wits’ end in terms of their strategies. If that is the case, should such ministers deserve a day longer in office after such self-defeatist comments?

The highpoint of the criticality of the situation came last week when the media was awash with images of terrorists handing over the remains of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar to Katsina State government officials and stakeholders. The handover was said to have occurred near the Karaduwa community.

General Abubakar, a former director of Defence Information, and his wife were ambushed and abducted by bandits on May 30 along the Matazu axis of Katsina State. The terrorists delivered the corpse unchallenged, and walked away back into their abode in the forest, whistling.

In what critics now described as a stage-managed choreography, General Abubakar’s wife was displayed on a stretcher surrounded by soldiers, who now claim to have performed a feat by rescuing her from the terrorists’ den.

A lot of things are not adding up in the estimation of many observers.

It will be interesting if the Army should mobilise the same energy and go for the rescue of many Nigerians currently languishing in various dens across the country.

In the open, the federal government does not acknowledge payment of ransom to release kidnapped victims. But those whose relations have been rescued tell the story of the humongous amount of money they paid.

Recently, the Nigerian troops of Operation HADIN KAI was beside itself with joy over the rescue of about 360 abductees who had spent several weeks in kidnappers’ den in Ngoshe, the Mandara Mountains of southern Borno State.

What amazed many people was that none of the returnees had a scratch on their bodies as a result of exchange of fire power between soldiers and the terrorists.

The questions that have remained unanswered currently are- what’s the magic? Were the terrorists sedated and tranquilized before the rescue operation was carried out? Something does not seem to add up in the fight against insurgency in Nigeria.

While it is apt to commend the nation’s security agencies for their efforts so far, it is also worrying that what we often see is reactive; our security agencies are never on ‘offensive”. It may not be their fault. They work within their means.

Most times, people accuse the soldiers and the police of only rushing to scenes to count corpses after the terrorists had caused havoc and left.

Charles Omole, director general, Institute for Police and Security Policy Research (IPSPR), said he did not think the situation would improve in the near-future. He added that the posture of the nation’s security agencies gives oxygen to the attacks.

Today, the 42 pupils abducted from schools in Borno State remain in captivity. The children, some as young as two years old, were kidnapped on May 13–15, 2026, when suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked schools in the Askira-Uba and Chibok Local Government Areas. They have now been held in the forest for over a month with no confirmed breakthrough in their release.

The pupils and teachers abducted from schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State are still in captivity. The mass abduction took place on May 15, 2026, when bandits attacked communities including Yawota and Ahoro-Esinle.

Monday night, suspected gunmen attacked the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru. They killed two soldiers and a police officer.

Today, many Nigerians are languishing in various kidnappers’ and terrorists’ dens across the country. Many abducted citizens have also died in captivity while their families still believe they are alive. Many captives are daily dying with complications in captivity.

The question many people are asking is, how did Nigeria get to this sorry state?

Let the spirit of ECOMOG return.