By Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade
Nigeria must be careful not to make the mistake of waiting until a danger becomes uncontrollable before confronting its warning signs.
The reported confrontation involving Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Igboho, members of Iru Èkùn, and the attempted arrest of Tani Olohun raises a question that goes beyond the individuals involved:
Can a private group prevent the police from executing a lawful court order simply because its members disagree with the arrest?
If established, such conduct should concern every Nigerian, regardless of ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.
This is not about whether Igboho is popular or unpopular. It is not about whether Tani Olohun is guilty or innocent. Every accused person deserves due process and a fair hearing. But due process also means allowing lawful institutions to perform their duties.
If a warrant is defective, challenge it in court. If the police act unlawfully, seek redress through the courts. If an allegation is false, defend it before the appropriate authority.
What cannot become normal is the use of organised groups to obstruct the execution of judicial orders.
Dangerous developments rarely appear in their final form.
A movement may begin with genuine grievances. A popular leader emerges. Followers rally around him. With time, loyalty may become stronger than respect for institutions. Eventually, the group may begin to determine which laws it will obey and which government officers it will recognise.
That is where the danger lies.
Let me be clear: I am not saying that Iru Èkùn is Boko Haram, nor that Igboho or its members are destined to become Boko Haram. Such a claim would be irresponsible.
But Nigeria must learn from history. The emergence and evolution of violent extremism, including Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, demonstrate why societies should never ignore the gradual erosion of respect for lawful State authority.
We must not wait until the leopard is fully grown before asking what happened to its tail.
If a group can stop an arrest today, what happens tomorrow when another group decides to stop an investigation, resist a court order or establish its own rules of enforcement?
That is how parallel authority takes root.
No individual should be above the law, not an activist, politician, traditional ruler, religious leader or social-media influencer.
If Tani Olohun has committed an offence, let the evidence be tested in court. If he is innocent, let him be cleared. If Igboho or any member of Iru Èkùn unlawfully obstructed the police, the allegation should equally be investigated and, where established, prosecuted.
Justice cannot be selective.
Islam also teaches Muslims not to support wrongdoing merely because the person involved is a friend or associate. Allah says:
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.”
Qur’an 5:2
We can defend someone’s legitimate rights without defending unlawful conduct.
The Federal Government and security agencies must investigate the incident impartially and ensure that lawful judicial orders are respected, while safeguarding the rights of every accused person.
We must speak now, not because we have concluded that anyone is a terrorist, but because the rule of law must never become negotiable.
Today it may be Tani Olohun.
Tomorrow it may be somebody else.
Today it may be Iru Èkùn.
Tomorrow another group may demand the same privilege.
Let us not keep silent until the leopard’s tail metamorphoses into the leopard.
Nigeria needs strong institutions, not private armies.
We need justice, not mob power.
We need activism within the law, not parallel authority.
The gavel must remain stronger than the crowd.
The Constitution must remain stronger than the personality.
And the law must remain stronger than the group.
Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade is a Member Al-Rabwa Islamic Propagation
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He can be reached via
agunbiadeib@gmail.com
