When Politicians Face Court and Citizens Face Bandits: Nigeria's Two Kinds of Justice ‎

In Nigeria today, a former governor or minister can expect a courtroom, lawyers, bail hearings and adjournments. A villager in the northwest or north-central region can expect gunmen at midnight, with no warning and no day in court.

Fire at night
On Saturday night, 7 November 2026, armed men in Zamfara State reportedly gathered a whole household into one room and set them on fire, killing 11 family members. It is not an isolated case. In August, suspected Lakurawa bandits killed 12 people and burned six alive in Sokoto State.

In Kwara State, a traditional chief recounted that some residents were burned inside their houses. In February, extremists in a Kwara village rounded up villagers, tied their arms and shot them, in what was described as Nigeria's deadliest assault in months.

The pattern continues. Bandits have killed scores and burned houses across communities in Borgu, Niger State. On 4 November, bandits in Kachia, Kaduna State, killed two people and abducted 18 villagers while residents were indoors. Observers note that rural communities come under regular attack because of vast terrain and security gaps.

Slow justice in the courtroom
Meanwhile, the courts are busy with the powerful. Former governors, senior federal directors and state accountants-general were arraigned in 2026 over alleged fraud, money laundering and diversion of public funds. The ICPC arraigned former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai and others over an alleged N8.68bn CCTV contract fraud. The trial of former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele has been adjourned to 11 to 13 November.

All defendants are innocent until proven guilty, and prosecution itself is a sign that accountability institutions work. Yet the pace raises a question. Former Benue governor Gabriel Suswam was first arraigned in November 2015, and his trial has still faced fresh delays over final addresses. The EFCC has prosecuted about 35 former governors since its inception in 2004.

The contrast
The contrast is a matter of priority and perception. Court cases for the elite can run a decade, while citizens in remote villages are killed within minutes. Many Nigerians feel that the energy and resources devoted to political cases are not matched by protection for ordinary people.

What citizens expect
Citizens want security forces deployed to vulnerable villages and early-warning systems that work. They want community protection backed by the state, and swift prosecution of attackers, sponsors and collaborators. A state that can arraign a former governor should be able to protect a family from being burned in its own home.

Conclusion
The government would argue that both fights are under way: corruption cases through the courts and counter-insurgency in the field. The measure of that claim is simple. When a Nigerian family sleeps at night, they should be as safe as the accused is in court.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,
International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. (USIP)
[email protected]
+233555275880

References
Leadership, "Bandits Burn 11 Family Members To Death In Zamfara," 8 Nov 2026: leadership.ng/bandits-burn-11-family-members-to-death-in-zamfara/

AllAfrica, "Suspected Lakurawa Bandits Kill 12, Burn 6 Alive in Sokoto Attack": allafrica.com/stories/202608030169.html

eNCA/AFP, "'Burned inside their houses': Nigerians recount horror of massacre": enca.com/news/burned-inside-their-houses-nigerians-recount-horror-massacre

AP via AOL, "Extremists massacred 162 people in a Nigerian village after issuing a call to prayer": aol.com/articles/nigerian-village-extremists-issued-call-162011384.html

The Meteor, "Bandits Kill Scores, Burn Houses in Fresh Attack on Niger Communities": themeteor.ng/?p=39355

AllAfrica/Daily Trust, "Bandits Kill 2, Abduct 18 in Kaduna Community," 6 Nov 2026: allafrica.com/stories/202611060633.html

WTOP/AP, "Islamic militants kill 11 people and burn homes in late night attack in Nigeria": wtop.com/news/2026/04/islamic-militants-kill-11-people-and-burn-homes-in-late-night-attack-in-nigeria-local-officials-say/

Nairametrics, "List of government officials facing fraud allegations in 2026": nairametrics.com/2026/06/15/list-of-government-officials-facing-fraud-allegations-in-2026/

AllAfrica, "ICPC Arraigns El-Rufai, Ex-Aide, 5 Others Over Alleged N8.68bn CCTV Contract Fraud": allafrica.com/stories/202606260024.html

The Guardian Nigeria, "Emefiele's absence stalls trial, court adjourns till November": guardian.ng/?p=2930037

AllAfrica, "Ex-Governor Suswam's 11-Year-Long Corruption Trial Suffers Fresh Delay": allafrica.com/stories/202610020312.html

Premium Times, "EFCC charged these five ex-governors with corruption": premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/792542-efcc-charged-these-five-ex-governors-with-corruption-heres-how-their-cases-have-unfolded.html