INTRODUCTION: 

When Justice Becomes A Casualty Of Power 

A forged court order is not just a fraudulent document—it is an existential threat to the rule of law, and by extension, to Nigeria as a functioning nation-state. It desecrates the sanctity of the judiciary, weaponizes the law against the innocent, and corrodes the already fragile trust the Nigerian people have in state institutions. The recent revelations by activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, alleging that a forged court warrant was used to arrest a civil servant in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), represents a catastrophic failure of legal oversight. If court orders—arguably the most sacred symbols of judicial authority—can be fabricated and enforced, what is left of our democracy?

The Allegation: Forgery and the FCT Land Scandal

According to Sowore, Mr. Mairiga, a staff of the FCT Administration, was arrested at the behest of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike using a forged court order. This arrest followed the publication by Peoples Gazette of leaked documents exposing alleged land allocations made by Wike to his two sons. Rather than refute or explain the allegations through legal means, the state appears to have activated its coercive apparatus to suppress the suspected source of the leak. Yet, it is reported that Mairiga had no access to land allocation systems, being responsible only for new land applications.

This move smacks of a vendetta cloaked in legality. When legal documents become instruments of political persecution, then the law no longer serves justice—it serves power.

The Core Question: Who Forged the Court Order?

This question must shake the conscience of every Nigerian. Who authored this counterfeit document? Which official typed and signed it? Who presented it to the police for enforcement? And who, in the judicial ecosystem, allowed it to pass through undetected?

Forgery of court orders is a felony and an unforgivable assault on the justice system. It is not a procedural irregularity; it is a criminal conspiracy. It simulates the voice of a judge, impersonates the will of the judiciary, and initiates state-sanctioned oppression under false pretenses. If such forgery is not punished, we legitimize criminality at the highest levels of governance.

Complicit Agencies and the Collapse of Due Process

In any nation governed by law, police officers are duty-bound to verify every court order before execution. In this case, despite objections from Mairiga’s lawyers, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) allegedly refused to show the arrest warrant. Even more appalling, a senior female police officer reportedly declared Mairiga to be “Wike’s personal detainee.” That statement is not just a disgrace to the uniform—it is a betrayal of constitutional duty.

FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Wale Ajao, is reported to have defended the arrest on the basis of a “valid court order.” If this is true, then he either misled the public or was himself misled by those who handed him the forged document. In either case, it reflects systemic failure and the urgent need for institutional reform.

The Dangerous Precedent: State Power without Judicial Restraint

What happens when the judiciary is impersonated? When fake court orders are enforced as real ones? We descend into a dystopia where political actors can detain, harass, and silence critics with impunity, while invoking the authority of courts they never actually approached.

The judiciary is the last hope of the common man. When it becomes a target of forgery, and the forgery is rewarded with enforcement, then Nigeria is not merely broken—it is bleeding.

This incident has dire implications:

It criminalizes whistleblowing.

It intimidates civil servants from exposing corruption.

It dismantles public confidence in due process.

And most frightening of all, it normalizes criminal abuse of the judiciary.

Sowore’s Rejection and the Politics of Intimidation

In a twist, Sowore revealed that Wike’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) reached out to arrange a meeting between him, Mairiga, and the Minister. The activist declined. That overture, while appearing conciliatory, hints at political damage control rather than a commitment to justice. If Wike had no involvement in the arrest or the forged order, his duty was not to invite Sowore for talks, but to demand a public and transparent investigation into how a document bearing the name of a Nigerian court was faked and enforced.

A Call to Action: Justice Must Not Be Forged

Nigeria must confront this moment with unflinching urgency. The following steps are imperative:

1. Independent Judicial Inquiry: A panel must be set up to investigate the origin and authenticity of the purported court order.

2. Criminal Prosecution: Anyone found involved—whether as fabricator, enabler, or enforcer—must be charged and tried.

3. Police Reform: Officers must be trained to verify court orders through a centralized, digital registry.

4. Judicial Digital Authentication: Court orders must bear encrypted digital signatures or QR codes, making them immune to forgery.

5. Whistleblower Protection: The state must reaffirm its commitment to protecting those who expose corruption, not punishing them.

Conclusion: If Court Orders Can Be Forged, What Hope Remains for the Streets?

We are at a moral and legal crossroads. If the judiciary can be forged, then what part of Nigeria remains sacred? If court orders can be fabricated and executed to serve political vendettas, then the average citizen has no shield left against the abuse of power.

The Nigeria we must build cannot be one where forged court documents lead to real arrests. It must be one where truth is not criminalized, where power is accountable, and where the courts are sacrosanct.

This moment must not be lost to silence. Let us speak. Let us demand. Let us act.

Ujah Israel Ujah Esq. B/Phil, LLB, LLM (Ph.D in v) 

Legal Practitioner | Human Rights Advocate | Rule of Law Reformer

Principal Counsel, Heni Attorney & Consultanc;

Convener, Hungry and Angry Legal Movement

Abuja, Nigeria | July 2025

He can be reached via 07034651322