RULAAC faults police reluctance in preventing breaches of peace in Imo community
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has condemned the police inaction in Ofekata Orodo Autonomous Community, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, citing a recent disregard of court orders in a leadership dispute in the community.
The leadership crisis stems from the decision of some persons in the community to proceed with a town union election in defiance of a subsisting order of the High Court of Imo State.
RULAAC in a statement by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, recalled formally alerting the Imo State Police Command ahead of the disputed events, warning that a subsisting court order was at risk of being disobeyed and that tensions in the community could escalate into violence without preventive action.
“Despite repeated early warnings and continued engagement with the Police, the disputed exercise reportedly proceeded, giving rise to serious public concern about whether sufficient steps were taken to uphold the law and preserve the authority of the court. If public authorities fail to act impartially when faced with credible reports of impending violations of court orders, confidence in both the justice system and law enforcement is inevitably weakened.”
RULAAC said its intervention was aimed only at preserving peace and had nothing to do with the merits of the underlying leadership dispute, which remains before the court.
According to RULAAC, the Nigeria Police Force has a constitutional duty to maintain public order and support the justice system. While police do not directly enforce civil judgments, the group argued that officers are still obligated to prevent breaches of the peace and avoid actions or inaction that could undermine lawful court processes.
The statement warned that a growing perception that influential individuals can flout court orders without consequence — sometimes with the tacit acquiescence of officials — threatens Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, encourages impunity, and discourages citizens from resolving disputes through the courts.
“We also call on all public officials, traditional institutions, community leaders, and citizens to recognise that obedience to court orders is not optional. Any person dissatisfied with a court order has lawful remedies through the appellate process. Deliberate disobedience is incompatible with the rule of law,” it said.
RULAAC called on the Nigeria Police Force to review how it handled the Imo incident and similar cases where allegations of court order violations were reported, and to apply disciplinary measures where officers are found to have acted unprofessionally or failed in their duties.
RULAAC said the strength of the rule of law lies not merely in the existence of courts, but in the willingness of all — including public authorities — to respect their authority.
