Judicial travesty has become one of the most painful wounds inflicted on Nigeria’s democracy an affliction so deep that it threatens the very soul of the nation.
Democracy rests on three pillars: the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.
But when the judiciary supposed to be the most impartial and the most sacred begins to crumble, the entire democratic structure trembles.
The courts should be the final refuge of the helpless, the last sanctuary where truth stands tall.
Yet in Nigeria today, that sanctuary feels invaded, desecrated, and overwhelmed by forces far removed from justice.
What should be the temple of fairness has increasingly turned into a theatre of contradictions.
Justice is no longer simply delayed; it is distorted, bent, sold, or abandoned.
A judicial system that once carried the promise of hope now often delivers outcomes tainted by political influence, monetary inducement, and institutional decay.
The very institution created to protect citizens now leaves many of them wounded.
It is not merely a failure it is a betrayal, and a heavy burden on the conscience of a nation yearning for truth.
Nigerians approach the courts today not with confidence but with apprehension.
This fear did not develop overnight.
It is the outcome of years of controversial judgments that defy logic, election rulings that leave the nation stunned, and criminal cases where those with deep pockets walk away untouched while the poor are buried under the weight of endless trials.
The judiciary, for many, has become a marketplace, where outcomes sometimes appear to go to the highest bidder.
Stories of court orders being casually ignored by government officials only worsen the heartbreak.
When those in power can disobey the courts without consequence, what message does that send to citizens who depend on the law for protection?
Justice becomes expensive too expensive for the ordinary person and dangerously cheap for those who can easily manipulate the system.
Everywhere one turns, the cracks are widening: politically connected individuals get swift reliefs from the courts, while ordinary Nigerians spend years seeking attention for the simplest matters.
Allegations of bribery and collusion among some judicial officers have stripped the system of its dignity, creating an image of institutions drowning in corruption.
And with each distortion of justice, democracy bleeds a little more.
Trust, which is the lifeblood of any democratic society, continues to evaporate.
Citizens can no longer rely on the courts to protect them.
When justice becomes selective, impunity flourishes.
When judgments become unpredictable and politically coloured, national institutions weaken.
When accountability disappears, leaders operate without restraint.
Each miscarriage of justice fuels frustration, widens national divisions, and brings the country closer to instability.
Nigeria has seen it in its elections, its governance, and its social tensions wherever the judiciary falters, chaos is never far behind.
The painful truth is that Nigeria cannot build a strong democracy on a weak judiciary.
Without a judiciary that stands firm, independent, and incorruptible, the nation’s democratic experiment is doomed to permanent fragility.
Nigeria urgently needs to restore honour to its courts.
It must free the judiciary from political interference, ensure that corruption among judicial officers is met with swift and unforgiving consequences, and insist that every court order no matter who it targets is obeyed.
The system must be strengthened, modernized, and protected.
Those who speak up against corruption must not be punished, but defended. Only then can justice regain its rightful place.
Judicial travesty is not a distant problem it is a national emergency.
It is a flashing red light warning Nigeria that democracy cannot thrive where justice is broken.
A nation may withstand economic hardship, social tension, or political rivalry, but no nation survives for long when its judiciary loses legitimacy.
Justice must not only be done it must be seen clearly, boldly, and consistently to be done.
Until Nigeria confronts this reality with courage, democracy will remain fragile, and the people will continue to suffer beneath a system that was meant to protect them.
The time to rescue the judiciary and with it the very heart of the nation is now.
